Tom Polansek, “Monsanto fights to sell Arkansas farmers herbicide linked to crop damage,” Reuters, September 7, 2017.

SUMMARY:

Monsanto has formally petitioned the state of Arkansas to reject the proposed ban on dicamba spraying after April 15.  The task force set up by Governor Hutchinson following thousands of complaints of crop damage from dicamba use on herbicide-resistant soybeans.  Monsanto calls this an “unwarranted and misinformed” as dicamba is specifically designed for spraying in the summer over growing fields to target herbicide-resistant weeds.   The company is claiming that the damage will “probably not cause significant yield losses” and called into question the objectivity and motives of key weed scientists who are working on the issue.  Monsanto threatened legal action if their petition is not granted.  FULL TEXT