The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has officially proposed the registration of dicamba to control weeds in cotton and soybean genetically engineered (GE) to tolerate the herbicide.

The proposal outlines a Herbicide Resistance Management Plan which includes monitoring and reporting any suspected resistance, grower education and remediation. Additionally, EPA is proposing to limit the registration to 5 years, which would further provide protections if resistance to dicamba develops.

The dicamba-tolerant crops include Monsanto’s Bollgard II® XtendFlex™ cotton, which had limited commercial introduction last year with commercial launch expected in 2016. Monsanto announced its commercialization plans for dicamba-tolerant Roundup Ready 2 Xtend soybeans in February 2016. Roundup Ready 2 Xtend soybeans are broadly licensed to more than 100 seed brands.

EPA is soliciting public comment for 30 days and Monsanto is urging farmers to make their voices heard. “Stakeholder comments will really make a difference,” said Monsanto Director of Industry Affairs Kim Magin. “Supportive letters are important for regulators to understand the various perspectives from farmers and agricultural stakeholders.”

Comments on the EPA’s proposed regulatory decision must be submitted no later than April 30, 2016. Comments may be submitted to the EPA docket EPA-HQ-OPP-2016-0187 at www.regulations.gov. After the comment period closes, EPA will review all of the comments and reach a final decision, which the Agency expects to issue in late summer or early fall 2016.