Farmers have plenty to manage

BLOOMINGTON – Growers in Illinois have done a good job managing fertilizer and nitrogen in recent years because they are more aware of the environment.

“We’ve had tremendous success with that, but it’s because we’ve done the extra things and become more aware of how we introduce these products into the environment,” said Jean Payne, president of the Illinois Fertilizer and Chemical Association.

Payne believes the new dicamba herbicide technology is a great product which is needed, but growers must do a good job of putting it on.

“We’ve got to pick the right days to do it. Training and awareness is a big part of that.”

The dicamba label expires in December of this year and the case will be made to the United States Environmental Protection Agency to re-label it. Otherwise, there could be plenty of soybean technology out there with nothing legal to apply to fields.

“Anybody who wants to put on dicamba, whether you are the commercial applicator or the person in the sprayer, has to be brought into training,” Payne adds.

IFCA is offering training sessions at various locations around the state this winter. The sessions are free of charge thanks to assistance from the pesticide industry. Information on regulatory compliance, training schedules, stewardship and chemical regulations can be found online at www.ifca.com.