PEORIA, Ill. — The six-week government shutdown in October-November 2025 could be the culprit behind the delay in state departments of agriculture receiving updated instructions for the use of the herbicide dicamba for the 2026 growing season. This is according to Illinois Agriculture Director Jerry Costello II, who also cited the loss of more than 20 percent of USDA workers via DOGE-related layoffs and early buyouts as a driver behind the delay. 

“The lion’s share of these losses were within the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), especially among senior staffers there,” Costello said on January 21, when he spoke at input retailers and farmers at the Illinois Fertilizer and Chemical Association’s (IFCA) 2026 convention and trade show in Peoria. “This is affecting our farmers who are trying to plan and budget for this year’s crop.”

The uncertainty over dicamba usage is familiar to GMO soybean growers, who are forced to adjust their over-the-top, or in-season, application windows to meet both weather and calendar requirements each year. “We’re still awaiting word from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on whether over-the-top application on soybean will be allowed in the 2026 growing season,” Costello said. “I understand how difficult it is to plan when those decisions are unresolved, and I want you to know the department of agriculture remains engaged and we are ready to communicate clearly to you all as soon as we have definitive guidance.”

A “silver lining” in the dicamba issue is a “stabilization” in the number of pesticide misuse complaints lodged with the Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA) over the past three growing seasons, according to Costello. “There is no dramatic increase to report, and that speaks to the professionalism of licensed applicators, the emphasis on training and the commitment this industry has shown to doing the right thing the right way,” he said.

In Illinois, formal complaints over pesticide misuse surged to 971 in 2019 after the rise of dicamba use. By 2020 complaints had plummeted to just 145. Only 85 complaints from 2022-25 resulted in fines, with most penalties totaling less than $1,000, Investigate Midwest, an independent, nonprofit newsroom whose stated mission is to serve the public as a watchdog over influential agricultural corporations and institutions, reported. 

A request for updated pesticide and dicamba complaint numbers made to an IDOA spokesperson by Farm World was not acknowledged by press time. The University of Illinois Extension reported that in 2024, 241 pesticide misuse complaints were filed with the IDOA. Of those, 202 cases had been completed (reviewed and closed or an enforcement action taken) as of early April 2025. Among the completed cases, 103 were closed with no evidence of misuse found. Just 91 complaints had been received as of November 2025 for the 2025 growing season. 

During his speech, Costello also discussed an IFCA-IDOA partnership project that provides a continuing education option for pesticide applicators and operators. Starting in 2028, SB 783 (Continuing Education Credits for Pesticide Licenses) will allow holders of a current valid pesticide license to renew their license by seeking continual educational pesticide knowledge. SB 783 will require the IDOA to create a CEC program, providing an option where a licensed applicator completes a certain number of hours/credits per year for a three-year re-certification/license period.

Applicators are currently required to meet certification and licensing standards in order to legally handle and supervise the use of pesticides. The current process involves passing an IDOA pesticide general standards competency exam. To maintain their certification and licensing, applicators must retake the exam once every three years.

“This was an industry-led initiative that came together the right way, (with) stakeholders at the table. There was thoughtful discussion that focused on practical outcomes and the bill moved through the legislature unanimously, which is no small feat. That kind of cooperation is something we should all be proud of, and honestly it is a model for the Illinois agriculture industry and the state legislature on coming together and working for the common good,” he said.