The Arkansas Department of Agriculture announced on March 17 that pesticide applicators and agricultural producers must adhere to updated restrictions for dicamba use during the 2026 growing season.
According to the department, the Environmental Protection Agency issued new federal registrations in February 2026 for over-the-top dicamba products covering the next two growing seasons. These registrations include strengthened national restrictions and remove all federal cutoff dates for applications on soybeans and cotton. However, Arkansas’s state cutoff date of June 30 remains in effect.
Between April 16 and June 30, registered in-crop dicamba products may only be applied under specific conditions: a one-mile buffer is required in all directions from university or USDA research stations; a half-mile buffer from certified crops and specialty crops valued at $25,000 or more or containing at least 1,000 plants; and a quarter-mile buffer from non-dicamba tolerant crops. Glyphosate tank mixes are prohibited. The department said that failure to comply with federal or state laws could result in civil penalties up to $25,000 per violation as well as possible suspension or revocation of applicator licenses.
The Arkansas Department of Agriculture serves as a state government agency focused on resource conservation and industry support, according to the official website. The agency manages an agricultural sector contributing more than $24.3 billion annually with about 37,400 farms spanning roughly 13.7 million acres, per the official website.
Additional responsibilities include overseeing funding through boards that allocate millions for research, extension and market development in commodities such as rice and soybeans; promoting access to safe water supplies; maintaining the Baucum Nursery which produces millions of seedlings annually for reforestation efforts; and honoring outstanding forest management through its annual Forest Stewards of the Year recognition—all according to information available on the official website.
Further details about dicamba use can be found according to the official roster page.
