Arkansas judge tosses out Monsanto dicamba suit

An Arkansas judge on Friday dismissed a lawsuit filed by Monsanto seeking to block the state's plan to ban the warm-weather use of the herbicide dicamba. Monsanto and the Arkansas Plant Board have been engaged in a monthslong fight over the use of the herbicide in the state. The plant board — which is made up of farmers, agricultural business representatives, pesticide officials and weed scientists — voted last year to prohibit the use of the herbicide from April 16 through Oct. 31 after widespread complaints from farmers that the herbicide drifted from neighboring fields and damaged their crops.In response, Monsanto not only sued the board, but also sued the board's 13 members individually. Arkansas lawmakers, however, upheld the plant board's decision in January.The Pulaski County Circuit Court judge threw out the case based on an Arkansas Supreme Court ruling that makes it difficult to sue state agencies."We are disappointed in the court’s decision to dismiss our legal challenge of the plant board’s restrictions, and we will consider additional legal steps that might be appropriate," Scott Partridge, vice president of global strategy for Monsanto, said in a statement. "We look forward to the day when Arkansas growers can benefit from the latest weed-control technology on the market."