"CHICAGO - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said on Wednesday it would allow farmers to spray a controversial weed killer made by Bayer AG’s Monsanto Co and BASF SE for two more years, with additional restrictions on use.

The agency said the herbicide, called dicamba, is an important tool for controlling weeds in crop fields.

However, the EPA said it would prohibit applications on soybeans 45 days after planting and on cotton 60 days after planting to address “potential concerns to surrounding crops and plants.” The agency also limited the times during which dicamba can be sprayed.

According to farmers and agronomists, the chemical then damaged millions of acres of nearby crops and plants that could not tolerate it, including fruit trees and flowers. In the summer of 2017, this damaged an estimated 4 percent of U.S. soybean plantings."

Tom Polansek reports for Reuters October 31, 2018. [2]

SEE ALSO:

"The EPA Says Farmers Can Keep Using Weedkiller Blamed For Vast Crop Damage" (NPR) [3]