Herbicide Strategy Workshop Set for Jan. 28
On January 28, 2025, the Illinois Soybean Association (ISA), in coordination with local partners including the University of Illinois Extension and Will County Farm Bureau will host a Herbicide Strategy workshop.
This educational workshop will be designed to update farmers about changes in pesticide policy, help them understand the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Herbicide Strategy, and provide concrete steps they can take to prepare their farm operations.
Will County Farm Bureau will host this Herbicide Strategy Workshop and it will be held at the Will County Farm Bureau Office on January 28 and will take place from 11 a.m. to noon. Anyone from the agricultural community is welcome to attend; a free lunch will be provided following the workshop.
Those interested in attending should visit: https://www.ilsoy.org/latest-epa-herbicide-strategy-workshop-youre-invited/ or email Gracie Sheets ([email protected]) with any questions.
Herbicide Strategy Background. (See ad on Page 7)
In August 2024, the EPA finalized its herbicide strategy, introducing significant changes to herbicide labeling nationally. The plan includes increased record-keeping and planning requirements for farmers to document pesticide runoff and drift mitigation measures for every field.
These policy changes stem from a 2011 lawsuit filed by the Center for Biological Diversity, which argued that the EPA was not meeting its Endangered Species Act (ESA) obligations when labeling pesticides. Known as the “megasuit” in the pesticide policy world, this case impacts all agricultural pesticide uses. In settling the case, the EPA committed to a comprehensive rewrite of U.S. pesticide policy, affecting farmers nationwide.
Moving forward, the EPA’s final Herbicide Strategy introduces several new requirements for Illinois farmers to mitigate the impact of agricultural herbicides on endangered species. Farmers must implement measures to limit herbicide runoff and drift, including adopting practices like cover crops, no-till farming, and creating drift buffers up to 320 feet.
To prevent pesticide runoff, herbicides will have “mitigation point requirements” that farmers need to meet. Points can be earned through existing field conditions or by adopting additional mitigation measures.
Large drift buffers will be required on many Illinois farm fields. To reduce buffer sizes and maximize productive farmland, farmers will need to consider mitigation measures such as increasing droplet size, lowering boom height, planting windbreaks or hedgerows, or reducing the treated acres.
ISA’s Herbicide Strategy Workshops were created to pair Illinois farmers with policy experts to discuss these changes, equip farmers with tools and updates, and outline possible pathways for navigating these new requirements.