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The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) is now accepting applications for a grant to develop enterprises, supply chains, and markets for continuous living cover crops and cropping systems in the early stage of commercial development.

Continuous living cover (CLC) refers to agricultural systems in which there are living plants and roots in the ground throughout the entire year. This can take many forms, from winter cover crops sown between summer annuals to agroforestry practices, perennial forage crops, perennial biomass crops, and perennial grain production. This includes but is not limited to regenerative poultry silvopasture systems, Kernza® perennial grain, winter camelina, and elderberry.

This is the third request for proposals under one-time funding provided to the MDA from the General Fund and the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund. A summary of the previous 11 grant-supported projects can be found on the Developing Markets for CLC Crops webpage.

CLC crops have been shown to enhance water and soil quality, sequester carbon, build soil health, and provide greater biodiversity and pollinator habitat. Significant environmental benefits of these crops will result from widespread production, which requires robust value chains and markets.

The goal is to provide grants to CLC crops and cropping systems value chain enterprises for equipment infrastructure and business and market development. For example, this could include customized equipment to harvest the crop, clean and store seeds, and process crops for food products. The intended outcome is supply chain and market development that can increase CLC crops and cropping systems on agricultural lands in Minnesota.

Applicants must:

• Be an organization in Minnesota, including a company, government, tribe, urban American Indian Community, partnership, and any type of civil or political association of people.
• Focus on continuous living cover.

The MDA will use a competitive review process to select grantees. The minimum award is $10,000 and the maximum award is $45,000.

The Developing Markets for CLC Crops Grant application must be received by 4:30 p.m. Central Time on Monday, July 15, 2024, through the MDA’s online application system.

For more information and to see the complete request for proposal (RFP), visit the Developing Markets for CLC Crops webpage.

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Media Contact
Allen Sommerfeld, MDA Communications
651-201-6185
Allen.Sommerfeld@state.mn.us

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) is reminding pesticide applicators of state-specific restrictions for the use of dicamba herbicide for the 2024 growing season. Engenia by BASF, Tavium by Syngenta, and XtendiMax by Bayer are the only dicamba formulations labeled for use on dicamba-tolerant (DT) soybeans. In Minnesota, dicamba products cannot be applied on DT soybeans after June 12 south of Interstate 94 and after June 30 north of Interstate 94.

In addition to the cut-off date, these three dicamba products cannot be applied in Minnesota when the air temperature is over 85° Fahrenheit at the time of application or if the forecasted high temperature of the nearest available location exceeds 85°. Forecasted temperature must be recorded at the start of the application. This restriction is for the entire state.

When applying these products, applicators must have all applicable labels in their possession. Compliance with these Minnesota-specific restrictions and other restrictions listed on the product label is mandatory.

This year’s cut-off dates were first announced on December 21, 2023, and follow the state restrictions of the 2022 and 2023 growing seasons. Because of those cut-off dates, the MDA saw a significant decrease in alleged drift complaints the past two years.

Dicamba is most effective early in the growing season. Product labels recommend application on small broadleaf weeds that are up to 4 inches tall.

To manage weeds after the June 12 or June 30 cut-off dates, herbicides from Group 9 (Glyphosate), Group 2 (Pursuit, Classic, FirstRate), and Group 14 (Flexstar, Cobra, Cadet, Ultra Blazer) can be used. If your soybeans contain the Enlist trait, broadleaf weeds can be controlled with Enlist one or Enlist Duo herbicides. Other 2,4-D formulations cannot be used postemergence on Enlist soybeans. If you have herbicide resistant weeds such as waterhemp, follow University of Minnesota Extension recommendations on layering of residual herbicides such as Dual, Outlook, Warrant, and Valor.

The postemergence dicamba products for use on soybeans are “Restricted Use Pesticides” for retail sale to and for use only by certified applicators.

Background Information

On February 6, federal registrations for Engenia, Tavium, and XtendiMax were vacated by the U.S. District Court of Arizona due to their off-site drift and injury to non-target plants. This court action prevented the use of these products in 2024. However, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued an order allowing use of product already in grower possession and limited sales and distribution of these dicamba products that are in the channels of trade.

According to the EPA's Existing Stocks Order for Dicamba Products, the sale and distribution of XtendiMax, Engenia, and Tavium ended on May 13, 2024, for purchasers south of I-94 and on May 31, 2024, for purchasers north of I-94.

Since dicamba was first registered for use on dicamba-tolerant soybeans in the 2017 growing season, the MDA has fielded complaints each year of alleged off-site movement onto neighboring property. The chemical is highly volatile and can damage non-target plant species through spray drift and/or volatilization. The annual total reports for alleged drift were:

2023: 15 reports
2022: 32
2021: 304
2020: 128
2019: 20
2018: 51
2017: 249

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Media Contact
Allen Sommerfeld, MDA Communications
651-201-6185
Allen.Sommerfeld@state.mn.us