Missouri Department of Agriculture alters rule on weed killer

The Missouri Department of Agriculture announced Friday it is altering its rules for use of BASF’s dicamba herbicide on cotton and soybeans.

Farmers will not be able to use the weed killer on the two crops after June 1 in some southeastern counties.

The weed killer will be banned in the rest of the state after July 15.

Farmers have recently complained that dicamba drifts from other fields and damages their crops.

Officials with the Missouri Farm Bureau said the new conditions will allow farmers to choose the best methods for their operations while respecting the property rights of others.