A fight over one of the most powerful new weapons against hard-to-kill weeds, developed by agricultural giant Monsanto Co., is spilling into the courts.
Monsanto’s new version of the herbicide, called dicamba, is part of a more than $1 billion investment that pairs it with new, genetically engineered seeds that are resistant to the spray. But some farmers say their nonresistant crops suffered after neighbors’ dicamba drifted onto their land.
The agricultural giant in October sued the Arkansas State Plant Board following the board’s decision to bar Monsanto’s new herbicide and propose tougher restrictions on similar weed killers ahead of the 2018 growing season. Monsanto claims its herbicide is being held to an unfair standard.
Arkansas has been a flashpoint in the dispute: About 900,000 acres of crops were reported damaged there, more than in any other state.
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Monsanto has criticized some Arkansas state agricultural officials and academics involved in researching and regulating dicamba, accusing them of bias and overstepping their authority.
The GLP aggregated and excerpted this article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion and analysis. Read full, original post: Battle Over Monsanto’s Potent New Weedkiller Heads to Court (behind paywall)
