Arkansas judge rules six farmers can spray controversial weed killer made by Monsanto and BASF

An Arkansas judge has ruled that six farmers in the state this summer can spray a weed killer made by Creve Coeur-based Monsanto Co. and BASF SE that was blamed for hurting millions of acres of U.S. crops last year.The decision is the latest twist in the saga surrounding herbicides based on the chemical known as dicamba and immediately sparked concerns about the potential for more damage. Other states are also limiting sprayings of the herbicide, and farmers are suing its manufacturers over crop damage linked to its use last summer.Dicamba is meant to be used during the summer on soybeans and cotton that Monsanto genetically engineered to resist the chemical. Growers across the U.S. farm belt said last summer that dicamba drifted away from where it was sprayed, damaging crops that could not tolerate the chemical.