The “D” Word: Dicamba Do’s and Don’ts for the 2025 Growing Season

In 2024, a court forced the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to vacate labels for the three over-the-top dicamba products for dicamba-tolerant soybeans: XtendiMax, Engenia and Tavium. After the labels of these products were vacated, all three registrants – Bayer (XtendiMax), BASF (Engenia), and Syngenta (Tavium) – applied for new labels last spring with the EPA.

When applying for these new labels, Bayer, BASF, and Syngenta all proposed different strategies going forward for each of their products. This means that if these product labels are approved, each could include different application timings or federal cutoff dates. Since the future of these products remains undecided, there is confusion regarding dicamba rules in 2025. Here are some notes:

Tavium, Engenia or XtendiMax can’t be used over-the-top in soybeans because the registration for these products was pulled following the 2024 court ruling.
Since there is currently no registration for Tavium, Engenia or EtendiMax, it is also illegal to apply these products as a burndown.
There are other labeled dicamba products that can be used before planting as a burndown application, but users must follow any label-mandated restrictions between application and soybean planting regardless of the variety. These usually include a precipitation requirement followed by a waiting interval.
Aaron Hager, University of Illinois Professor and Extension Weed Science Specialist, advises caution when applying dicamba products before sensitive soybeans without dicamba tolerance. The plant back restrictions for soybeans depends upon the herbicide label and can vary from 14 to 30 days.
Dicamba used in corn was not affected by the 2024 court ruling, so this means that dicamba products for corn will be available and you can use them according to label directions to limit off-target movement.

As of now, it is a waiting game, as it could possibly take 10 to 11 months for the EPA to review, make decisions, and possibly reregister Tavium, Engenia or XtendiMax. It is also important to note that if these products are registered, the EPA will develop Endangered Species Act guidelines for them as part of the agency’s new Herbicide Strategy.

This means farmers may not have access to these products in 2025 or 2026. In the meantime, Dr. Hager and other extension weed specialists encourage farmers to explore other herbicide strategies for weed control during the next couple of growing seasons. Stay tuned for updates as they take place.

About the Author: Stephanie Porter

As Outreach Agronomist for the Illinois Soybean Association (ISA), Stephanie supports research efforts and helps communicate both in-field and edge-of-field research and validation studies to Illinois 43,000 soybean farmers. She also helps lead the demonstration and adoption of conservation agriculture practices and raises awareness of best management and continuous improvement practices for conservation agriculture in Illinois. Stephanie has 23 years of experience that consists of agronomy, conservation, horticulture, plant diagnostics, and education. She has her bachelor’s in crop science and master’s in plant pathology from the University of Illinois. Stephanie is a Certified Crop Advisor and was named the 2018 Illinois Certified Crop Adviser Master Soybean Advisor. She also has experience with corn and soybean pathology research, crop scouting, soil testing, as well as crop consulting. Previously, she utilized her diagnostic training and collaborated with University of Illinois departmental Extension Specialists to diagnose plant health problems and prepare written responses describing the diagnosis and management recommendations as the University of Illinois Plant Clinic.