Herbicides are common tools of modern agriculture. Like many tools, they offer considerable benefits, but can also pose risks under certain conditions. The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) has the statutory responsibility to prevent herbicides from causing unreasonable adverse effects on the environment, with consideration given to both the product’s potential risks and benefits. The MDA develops best-management practices (BMPs) to help balance risks and benefits. These are voluntary actions the users of herbicide products can take to protect themselves and the environment. BMPs are developed using scientific and agronomic information about the product’s potential impact on the environment and human health. The recommendations associated with a particular product may vary depending on chemical properties and intended patterns of use. The MDA recently developed a series of BMPs to protect Minnesota’s water resources from potential agricultural herbicide impacts. Core practices help prevent impacts from all herbicides, while separate specific guidelines have been developed to address detection of five herbicide active ingredients and their breakdown products in Minnesota’s groundwater or surface water. The MDA encourages farmers and others using herbicides containing acetochlor, alachlor, atrazine, metolachor and metribuzin to adopt the voluntary BMPs to protect the quality of state water resources and to avoid possible future mandatory restrictions in the use of herbicides containing these active ingredients. These guidelines can only benefit the environment if they are implemented. That’s why the state also provides resources to help farmers implement the latest BMPs on the farm. Through the Agriculture Best-Management Practices Loan Program, the MDA provides zero-interest loans to local units of government who, in turn, provide low interest loans to individuals for agricultural BMPs that help implement agricultural non-point source pollution priorities in local water plans. The MDA works with counties, local water planners and Soil and Water Conservation Districts to develop applications, and convenes an advisory committee comprised of water quality agencies and local units of government to review and rank the applications and advise the department on allocation decisions. Minnesota farmers are some of our most dedicated conservationists, and judicious use of agricultural chemicals is an important contribution we can make to the quality of our soil and water. I applaud the many farmers who already use best-management practices with regard to agricultural chemicals. For more information about BMPs and the Ag BMP Loan Program, visit the MDA Web site at www.mda.state.mn.us.
