The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced today that additional specialty crops, including nursery crops and cut flowers, are covered by the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) and that the deadline to apply for the program is extended to September 11th. [Read more…]
USDA Announces More Specialty Crops, Nursery Crops, Cut Flowers Eligible for CFAP Payments
Specialty Crops Injury Caused by Dicamba Herbicide Drift

Figure 1. Non-tolerant soybean foliage when exposed to a sublethal rate of dicamba 2 weeks after treatment. Leaves are cupped with the bottom edges curved towards the top surface of the leaves.
By Maggie Wasacz1 and Thierry Besancon2
1 Rutgers Weed Science Graduate Student; 2 Rutgers Weed Science Extension Specialist for Specialty Crops
Glyphosate-tolerant soybeans were first commercialized in 1996 in the United States. By 2006, almost 9 out of every 10 soybean acres were planted with glyphosate-tolerant cultivars. However, reliance on glyphosate alone for soybean weed control stimulates the selection of weed biotypes naturally resistant to glyphosate. By 2019, there were 43 weed species known to be resistant to glyphosate, including species such as Palmer amaranth or waterhemp that can easily out-compete soybean and reduce yield by more than 50% if left uncontrolled.
What is Dicamba Herbicide?
One way to control glyphosate-resistant weeds is to treat them with herbicides other than glyphosate, such as dicamba. Dicamba is a synthetic auxin herbicide that has been used to control broadleaf weeds for over 50 years. Chemical and seed companies have recently developed new soybean varieties that are tolerant to dicamba and that started to be commercialized in 2016. With the development of genetically modified dicamba-tolerant soybeans, dicamba may be sprayed more frequently during the growing season. Additionally, dicamba is regularly applied in corn, for right-of-way applications, and in the early fall for perennial weeds control.
Dicamba can injure sensitive broadleaf plants through tank incorrectly rinsed after spraying dicamba, particle drift during the dicamba application, and vaporization after dicamba has been applied . Particle drift refers to the herbicide being carried off-target by the wind during the application. Wind speed, particle droplet size, nozzle type, carrier volume, application method, and application speed will affect the extent of particle drift. Vaporization, on the other hand, occurs when the herbicide evaporates from the target plant and these vapors travel off-target. For more information on herbicide drift, please refer to the following PPA post 10-best-management-practices-to-avoid-herbicide-drift.
If some of the dicamba sprayed onto a soybean field moves off-target and lands on a nearby field planted with a sensitive crop, the results can be very harmful. This injury could potentially cause aesthetic damage as well as reduce yield reduction. Potential for yield loss is influenced by amount of dicamba as well as when the injury occurs. Small volumes of dicamba products can cause leaf cupping and deformation, plant twisting, and in extreme cases, plant death of sensitive crops.
Screening Vegetables for Dicamba Sensitivity
Greenhouse studies conducted at Rutgers University in 2019-2020 screened economically important vegetable crops from the mid-Atlantic region for sensitivity to sublethal doses of dicamba. These micro-rates of dicamba simulated varying levels of drift conditions in the field. To put the rates into perspective, the highest dose in this study was equivalent to about one drop of product per quart of water. The goals of this study are to develop recommendations that can help growers design their planting strategies around dicamba-treated fields as well as to use this data to help refine recommendations to maximize protection of sensitive crops.
Crop-Specific Reactions to Simulated Dicamba Drift
The most sensitive crops in this study were the leguminous crops, including non-tolerant soybean, lima bean, and snap bean, as well as solanaceous crops, such as tomato, eggplant and pepper. These crops demonstrated severe injury.
Soybean injury is characterized by the underside edges of the leaves curling upward toward the top surface of the leaves (Figure 1). Lima bean and snap bean have similar injury symptoms, both exhibiting injury in several ways. Higher rates caused some leaves to not emerge at all, while lower rates caused leaf cupping injury that caused the top edges of the leaves to curve downward towards the ground. Other symptoms included a bubble-like texture on the top sides of the leaves, as well as leaf crinkling.

Figure 2. Eggplant 2 weeks after treatment. The undersides of affected leaves are curled upward toward the top surfaces of the leaves.

Figure 3. Bell pepper 2 weeks after treatment. The leaves are cupped with a bubble-like texture on the top surface.

Figure 4. Tomato 2 weeks after treatment. Leaflets are curled, reduced in size, and deformed.
For eggplant and bell pepper, injury was expressed as the undersides of the leaves curling upward toward the top surface (Figures 2 and 3). Additionally, leaf crinkling is seen in bell pepper foliage (Figure 3). Finally, tomato plants express dicamba injury with leaf twisting, cupping, stunting, and crinkling. At higher rates, these leaflets will be extremely stunted and deformed (Figure 4). Lower rates will show slight cupping, leaf crinkling and a change in leaf surface texture. Among the most tolerant crops from this study were basil, pumpkin, lettuce, and kale. These plants incurred the lowest amount of damage. The moderately sensitive crops included watermelon, cucumber, and summer squash. Watermelon foliage exhibits injury differently than many of the other crops tested in the study. Rather than leaf cupping, watermelon leaf texture appears shriveled and more deeply lobed with small bubbles on the top leaf surface (Figure 5).

Figure 5. Watermelon 2 weeks after treatment. Leaves are deeply lobed with a puckering, bubble-like texture.

Figure 6. Summer squash 2 weeks after treatment. Leaf edges are curved downward toward the ground.

Figure 7. Cucumber 2 weeks after treatment. Leaf is cupped and the bottom edges of the leaf are curved upward towards the top leaf surface.
Summer squash and cucumber, however, show leaf cupping when injured. In summer squash, the top edges of the leaf curve downward towards the ground (Figure 6). The foliage of cucumber tends to curve the bottom edges upward toward the top surface of the leaf, although both directions of cupping were observed. (Figure 7).
On-Going Research at Rutgers
This summer, Rutgers researchers will select a few of these crops to take yield in a field-based dicamba drift study that tests different drift rates and application timings. Although this study gives some preliminary information, more detailed studies are necessary to confirm these findings. However, in the meantime, this greenhouse work gives us a brief snapshot of which species to be most concerned with when working near dicamba treated fields and provides help with field identification of these injury symptoms.
If you suspect that dicamba drift may have injured your crops, please contact you local county extension agent or Rutgers weed science specialist (Dr. Thierry Besançon) as soon as possible, and take detailed pictures of the observed damages.
Specialty Crops Producers Can Now Apply for Financial Assistance Through USDA’s Coronavirus Food Assistance Program
USDA Agricultural Marketing Service sent this bulletin at 05/26/2020 03:31 PM EDT
WASHINGTON, May 26, 2020-–Specialty crops producers can now apply for USDA’s Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP), which provides direct payments to offset impacts from the coronavirus pandemic. The application and a payment calculator are now available online and USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) staff members are available via phone, fax and online tools to help producers complete applications. The agency set up a call center in order to simplify how they serve new customers across the nation. Applications will be accepted through August 28, 2020.
Through CFAP, USDA is making available $16 billion for vital financial assistance to producers of agricultural commodities who have suffered a five-percent-or-greater price decline due to COVID-19 and face additional significant marketing costs as a result of lower demand, surplus production, and disruptions to shipping patterns and the orderly marketing of commodities.
We also want to remind producers that the program is structured to ensure the availability of funding for all eligible producers who apply. In order to do this, producers will receive 80 percent of their maximum total payment upon approval of the application. The remaining portion of the payment, not to exceed the payment limit, will be paid at a later date nationwide, as funds remain available.
Producers can download the CFAP application and other eligibility forms from farmers.gov/cfap. Also, on that webpage, producers can find a payment calculator to help identify sales and inventory records needed to apply and calculate potential payments.
Additionally, producers in search of one-on-one support with the CFAP application process can call 877-508-8364 to speak directly with a USDA employee ready to offer assistance. This is a good first step before a producer engages the team at the FSA county office at their local USDA Service Center.
Applying for Assistance
Producers of all eligible commodities will apply through their local FSA office. Those who use the online calculator tool will be able to print off a pre-filled CFAP application to sign and submit to your local FSA office either electronically or via hand delivery. Please contact your local office to determine the preferred method. Producers can find contact information for their FSA county office by visiting farmers.gov/CFAP and using the Find Your Local Service Center tool at the bottom of the page.
Documentation to support the producer’s application and certification may be requested after the application is filed. FSA has streamlined the signup process to not require an acreage report at the time of application and a USDA farm number may not be immediately needed.
Additional Commodities
USDA is also establishing a process for the public to identify additional commodities for potential inclusion in CFAP. Specifically, USDA is looking for data on agricultural commodities, that are not currently eligible for CFAP, that the public believes to have either:
- suffered a five percent-or-greater price decline between mid-January and mid-April as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic,
- shipped but subsequently spoiled due to loss of marketing channel, or
- not left the farm or remained unharvested as mature crops.
More information about this process is available on farmers.gov/cfap.
More Information
To find the latest information on CFAP, visit farmers.gov/cfap or call 877-508-8364.
USDA Service Centers are open for business by phone appointment only, and field work will continue with appropriate social distancing. While program delivery staff will continue to come into the office, they will be working with producers by phone and using online tools whenever possible. All Service Center visitors wishing to conduct business with the FSA, Natural Resources Conservation Service, or any other Service Center agency are required to call their Service Center to schedule a phone appointment. More information can be found at farmers.gov/coronavirus.
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