Dicamba damage on U.S. fieldsESTIMATES TOP THREE MILLION ACRES

摘要

HEADING INTO THE soybean harvest, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) extension experts put Instances of dicamba damage to the crop at 3.1 million acres, approximately 3.5% of U.S. soybean plantings this year. That figure could change as field workprogresses, according to Dr. Kevin Bradley, a plant pathologist at the University of Missouri."It would be a gross misunderstanding [to assess the scope of the problem] just by looking at the number of reports to departments of agriculture," he says, estimating that actual cases could be 10 times the number of reports.U.S. crop advisors are urging farmers to report suspected dlcamba-related damageto non-Xtend soybeans even If they are not seeking to recover losses. Ken Ferrle, Farm Journal field agronomist, also advises farmers to report dicamba problems to their chemical representatives and Insurance companies, noting that most commercial pesticide applicators carry liability policies that could provide a payout.