STARKVILLE, Miss. -- In response to new Environmental Protection Agency regulations on the use of the herbicide dicamba, the Mississippi State University Extension Service is developing two online training courses to help cotton and soybean farmers follow the new rules.

Many crops were damaged in 2017 after herbicide products containing auxin -- plant growth hormones that can be used to control weeds -- drifted from targeted fields to nontarget crops. Some synthetic auxin-related products, such as 2,4-D and dicamba, are labeled for use on cotton and soybean varieties that are tolerant of the compound. Intolerant crops are damaged by them.

New EPA regulations require training for farmers who want to apply these products.

Modules within the online training cover auxin herbicides, herbicide resistance in weeds, off-target concerns (drift, volatility and sprayer contamination), and the Enlist weed control system (2,4-D) and the Xtend weed control system (dicamba). More topics will be added during each course’s development.

The two new online training courses will be available later this month at http://auxintraining.com. One course will be similar to last year’s training module for individuals purchasing restricted-use pesticides. The second course covers the label requirements for applicator training.