The EPA on Friday reapproved dicamba for use on genetically modified soybeans and cotton, setting renewed federal terms for a herbicide that can be sprayed over engineered crops. The agency said dicamba helps growers manage weeds that can threaten yields, while it also established protections aimed at reducing the chemical’s tendency to drift onto nearby plants.
Under the EPA’s approval, growers can apply dicamba over the top of genetically engineered crops, a method advocates say increases the stakes for spray drift and off-target damage. The EPA said dicamba is a common weed killer that has been in use for decades, but it has expanded on farms in recent years, increasing both its reach and the level of public concern around how it is used.
EPA officials said growers want dicamba and need support against fast-growing weeds, and they said the decision is not framed as a political fight between groups. The agency acknowledged that concerns about dicamba drifting to unintended locations are “real” and said those risks must be managed through limits tied to application rates and weather conditions, as well as buffer zones intended to protect nearby crops.
The EPA said it imposed caps on how much can be applied per acre, limited applications during hot days, and established buffer zones to prevent harm to nearby crops, adding that growers could use the chemical “without threatening humans or the environment, according to EPA” if the rules are followed. The American Soybean Association applauded the decision, saying clear requirements would help farmers prepare for the next growing season and control destructive weeds.
Advocates criticized the reapproval, pointing to prior court barriers to similar efforts in 2020 and 2024 and arguing that expanding dicamba use on these two crops will increase harm. Kelly Ryerson, an activist with the Make American Healthy Again movement that has allied with the Trump administration, said she was disheartened by the decision and argued against allowing over-the-top dicamba.
Ryerson said in a statement: “A top priority of mine was to have the use of Dicamba for over-the-top applications permanently discontinued because” of the herbicide’s harm. She added that “New restrictions on use are not sufficient, and will perpetuate the chemical treadmill where many farmers are trapped,” characterizing the EPA’s action as inadequate protection.
Environmental groups also argued that the EPA’s safeguards are not enough. Nathan Donley, environmental health science director at the nonprofit Center for Biological Diversity, said: “When push comes to shove, this administration is willing to bend over backward to appease the pesticide industry, regardless of the consequences to public health or the environment.” He said the restrictions do not prevent application patterns that environmentalists say extend too much of the year and on too many days.
The EPA’s decision comes as researchers continue to assess potential health risks from dicamba exposure. The AP account cited a 2020 study in the International Journal of Epidemiology that found dicamba exposure was linked to an increased risk for some cancers, including liver cancer and a type of leukemia affecting the blood and bone marrow.
Bayer, which makes dicamba, said the federal registration would allow it to seek state approvals and that it would launch training for applicators in the coming weeks. The reapproval means growers and regulators will again operate under EPA-set conditions for dicamba use on two major genetically modified crops, with environmental groups warning that drift safeguards may not work as intended in practice.