The Arkansas ban on dicamba continues after a judge threw out Monsanto’s lawsuit to stop the state from blocking sale of the product. On Friday the Pulaski County Circuit Court Judge Chris Piazza cited a recent Arkansas Supreme Court decision that the state cannot be made a defendant in court.
In June, the Arkansas State Plant Board bowed to the pressure of more than 240 complaints connected to alleged drifting of the chemical dicamba and passed a vote 9-5 to ban the sale and use of the product.
Earlier this month, Monsanto announced that it would be providing hundreds of free, in-person training sessions across 33 states to help reinforce proper use of low-volatility dicamba formulations to control weeds in the Roundup Ready Xtend Crop System. Under the new federal Restricted Use Pesticide label, training is mandatory for all applicators prior to using low-volatility dicamba formulations, including XtendiMax Herbicide with VaporGrip Technology.
In a statement, Monsanto said it was disappointed with the judge’s decision and would consider further legal action.
