West of St. Louis, one vineyard owner is staring down another growing season with a knot in his stomach. After losing nearly half his 2025 harvest - roughly 40 tons - and an estimated $50,000 in foregone profit, he is bracing for more off-target herbicide sprays that can undo years of careful pruning in a matter of weeks. From Etlah to Hermann, growers say they are still seeing cupped leaves, shriveled fruit and dead vines tied to drifting herbicide, a threat that can wipe out both a vintage and a business plan.
The damage last year was not a one-off. Local coverage captured how deeply it hit: Nick Pehle, who farms a 20-acre vineyard near Etlah, told reporters his crop was dramatically lighter and that "there's some dead plants out there." As reported by St. Louis Magazine, Pehle said partial compensation for earlier drift incidents helped, but it did not come close to covering repeated losses.
Why grapes are so vulnerable
Grapevines are drama queens when it comes to chemicals, and that is not an exaggeration. They can show injury from tiny amounts of herbicide, which means even small off-target movement can leave a visible scar on the canopy. The U.S. Geological Survey estimates roughly 28 million pounds of agricultural pesticides were applied to Missouri cash crops in 2019, a scale that inherently increases the risk of drift and volatilization. A University of Missouri study that included interviews with 50 fruit and vegetable growers also lists herbicide drift among growers' top concerns. USGS, University of Missouri
EPA's 2026 decision and new limits
In February the EPA signed off on time-limited registrations for over-the-top dicamba for the 2026 to 2027 seasons and paired the approval with a new list of restrictions. The agency cut allowable annual application rates in half, added tighter temperature caps, expanded buffer requirements and mandated volatility-reduction practices. EPA officials described the overall package as the "strongest protections in agency history" for this product and said the agency will track what happens in the field and adjust if needed. EPA
Growers say the label will not stop the damage
On the ground, though, vineyard owners and viticulture experts say paper safeguards do not always translate into protection for grapes. They point out that even when applicators follow the label, dicamba can still volatilize and move off site, and that misapplication remains a recurring problem. Nathan Held of Stone Hill Winery and University of Missouri viticulture leader Dean Volenberg told reporters that drift shows up on many vineyard sites every year and called grapes "canaries in the coal mine" for chemical injury. Investigative reporting has documented growers uprooting vines after consecutive years of damage and found that compensation, when it comes, is often only partial. Investigate Midwest
Rising herbicide use across the Midwest
The pressure is not just about dicamba. Use of other volatile herbicides such as 2,4-D has jumped in nearby states, raising the odds that sensitive crops will get caught in the crossfire. A recent peer-reviewed geospatial analysis found a median county-level increase of about 341 percent in 2,4-D application on Illinois soybeans from 2017 to 2023, a shift researchers warn can increase exposure risks for neighboring fields. Scientific Reports / PMC
Economic stakes for Missouri wine country
For Missouri wine country, the stakes are not theoretical. Trade-group estimates put the state's wine industry output in the billions, and local reporting notes that roughly 1 million gallons of wine come from about 1,700 vineyard acres. That math means even partial losses can be ruinous for small producers trying to keep their tasting rooms open and their crews employed. The national trade group's economic report calculates that wine generates roughly $5.4 billion in total economic activity in Missouri. WineAmerica
Courts, complaints and next steps
While vines push new growth, the legal status of the chemicals that threaten them is still in flux. A federal district court vacated over-the-top dicamba registrations in February 2024, and environmental groups filed new challenges after EPA's 2026 reapproval, keeping the issue tied up in litigation. Industry and state data show drift complaints have climbed in recent years. State records shared with reporters counted 89 pesticide-drift complaints in 2024 and 133 in 2025, including multiple reports from grape growers, and extension specialists continue to urge careful documentation and prompt regulatory reporting when injury appears. DTN, Investigate Midwest
As buds swell and spray rigs start to roll, vineyard owners across the St. Louis area say they will be watching wind, weather and neighboring fields more closely than ever. With tightened labels, expanding herbicide use across the Corn Belt and ongoing court fights, this growing season will test whether new policies can keep chemicals on target and Missouri wine on the vine.
