BASF receives EPA approval for Engenia herbicide after prior court ban

BASF said it has received federal registration from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for its Engenia herbicide, allowing over-the-top applications on dicamba-tolerant soybeans and cotton.

The approval follows years of legal uncertainty for dicamba-based products. A U.S. federal court previously barred three dicamba herbicides—Bayer’s XtendiMax, BASF’s Engenia and Syngenta’s Tavium—after ruling that the EPA violated federal law in its 2020 reauthorization by failing to seek required public comment. Environmental groups had challenged the agency’s decision, citing evidence that the herbicides caused damage to non-dicamba-tolerant crops and surrounding ecosystems.

The products were first vacated in June 2020, when a federal court found the EPA had not fully assessed associated risks. Later that year, the agency reapproved the herbicides with additional restrictions, a move that also drew legal scrutiny.

Growers of genetically modified soybeans and cotton have argued that dicamba remains a key tool against weeds that no longer respond to other herbicides. Following the court’s earlier ruling, BASF said the decision could disrupt planting plans and threaten the livelihoods of farmers relying on over-the-top dicamba applications across millions of acres.

The new registration for Engenia provides soybean and cotton farmers with an additional option to manage more than 200 weed species in dicamba-tolerant crops. BASF said the product uses its BAPMA salt formulation to deliver knockdown performance against broadleaf weeds, including Palmer amaranth, waterhemp, kochia, morning glory and ragweed.