Herbicides - Investigate Midwest

This herbicide is so toxic it’s been banned in over 70 countries. But plants in the South are releasing it into the air.

Paraquat has been linked to Parkinson’s disease and just a sip is fatal, but tens of thousands of pounds of it are being released in the Mississippi Basin.

By Delaney Nolan, The Lens

/ 18 May 2026

This herbicide is so toxic it’s been banned in over 70 countries. But plants in the South are releasing it into the air.

Burned before by ‘pesticide drift,’ vineyard owners enter growing season bracing for the worst

The Trump administration wants to continue the use of the herbicide dicamba. That’s despite fears it’s killing sensitive plants.

By Trevor Grandin, Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk

/ 10 Apr 2026

Burned before by ‘pesticide drift,’ vineyard owners enter growing season bracing for the worst

Expect more turmoil and change for the 2026 ag sector

Key trade agreements, the legality of the global trade war, Agri Stats’ antitrust case, more USDA moves, and rulings on dicamba and glyphosate predicted to grab industry headlines.

By Dave Dickey, Columnist

/ 8 Jan 2026

Expect more turmoil and change for the 2026 ag sector

Breaking Down The Use Of Glyphosate In The U.S.

Glyphosate is the most used pesticide on U.S. agricultural crops, with the nation using an estimated 287 million pounds in 2016, according to an analysis by the Midwest Center

By Pam Dempsey, Investigate Midwest

/ 28 May 2019

Breaking Down The Use Of Glyphosate In The U.S.

Last Year It Was Dicamba, This Year It’s 2,4-D

A volatile weed killer linked to cancer and endocrine issues will likely be sprayed on millions more acres of soybeans and cotton across the Midwest and South starting this year.

By Johnathan Hettinger, Investigate Midwest

/ 27 Mar 2019

Last Year It Was Dicamba, This Year It’s 2,4-D

Legislative Bill Would Increase Pesticide Application Fees In Iowa, Send Money To Inspections

A bill has been introduced in the Iowa Legislature that would increase the fee for a three-year public or private pesticide application certification from $15 to $30 and designate

By IowaWatch

/ 4 Mar 2019

Legislative Bill Would Increase Pesticide Application Fees In Iowa, Send Money To Inspections

High-Stakes Pesticide Battle Pits Farmer Against Farmer

Last year, according to a University of Missouri survey, dicamba damaged an estimated 3.6 million acres of soybeans across 25 states when it drifted from farms planted with seeds genetically engineered to resist the chemical onto regular soybean fields.

By Paul Feldman/FairWarning

/ 19 Apr 2018

High-Stakes Pesticide Battle Pits Farmer Against Farmer

Growing Health Concerns Surrounding Pesticides, Including Two Commonly Used In Iowa

Some farmers applying pesticides to fields this summer might ignore symptoms of being exposed to the chemicals, like headaches or nausea. But mounting evidence shows chronic exposure to pesticides may increase risks for certain cancers, like prostate cancer, and for other chronic illnesses, like Par

By Lauren Mills

/ 21 Jul 2016

Growing Health Concerns Surrounding Pesticides, Including Two Commonly Used In Iowa

IowaWatch Connection Podcast: Health Impacts Of Widely-Used Pesticides Uncertain

Iowa’s wide expanses of row-cropped fields produced roughly 2.5 billion bushels of corn and 554 million bushels of soybeans in 2015. And for many, those high yields are thanks in part to pesticides. But what impact, if any, do those chemicals have on our health? It’s a controversial topic and the an

By Lauren Mills and Jeff Stein

/ 20 Jun 2016

IowaWatch Connection Podcast: Health Impacts Of Widely-Used Pesticides Uncertain