The EPA recently approved glufosinate-P as an alternative herbicide to the banned dicamba. This marks the first herbicide registered under a new endangered species protection strategy.

Glufosinate-P and glufosinate-P ammonium will allow corn and soybean farmers to manage weeds without dicamba, which was banned due to health concerns. BASF announced its new Liberty Ultra herbicide. It contains glufosinate-P ammonium. The company claims it’s effective on broadleaf weeds and grasses and covers more acres with less product.
To protect endangered species, the EPA added new usage requirements. This includes a 10-ft. buffer for ground applications to reduce spray drift. The agency claims these measures will lower environmental chemical exposure.

Farm groups have expressed concerns that these added restrictions signal a trend toward increased regulation. The American Soybean Association criticized the EPA for going beyond prior safety evaluations It suggested the agency bowed to environmental pressures and caution that this decision may set a regulatory precedent impacting farmers’ reliance on crop protection tools.

Read more on the EPA approval of glufosinate-P here.