More in Pesticide Residue

Jun. 21, 2012

News

Chlorothalonil NSRL lowered on Prop 65 list of chemicals

Syngenta is updating its chlorothalonil-containing product labels to meet the new No Significant Risk Level (NSRL) of 41 µg/day set by the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA)....More
Jun. 19, 2012

News

EWG Dirty Dozen list lacks scientific validity 1

There is a growing body of scientific work that clearly shows EWG's Dirty Dozen list is not scientifically verifiable or valid. EWG has not, in a fully transparent manner, displayed the scientific basis for the methodology they use in developing the Dirty Dozen list....More
Jun. 14, 2012

News

SJV phenoxy drift cotton damage widespread 4

At least 15,000 acres of San Joaquin Valley cotton and one young pomegranate orchard have been damaged by phenoxy herbicide drift from a legal, but questionable Merced County, Calif., 2,4-D application to pasture land....More
Jun. 8, 2012

News

Nozzles and droplets: what do the colors mean?

Choosing a nozzle - the sprayer calibration should include determining the proper droplet size for a pesticide (included on the label). The applicator can then refer to nozzle manufacturer catalogs and nozzle tables to select the proper nozzle tip color to obtain the droplet size based on the desired operating pressure, sprayer travel speed, and desired carrier volume (also from the pesticide label)....More
May 21, 2012

News

Error in pesticide report impacts SJV

In March 2012, DPR released its annual report on volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions from pesticides. Since the report’s release, DPR found an error that primarily affects the pesticide VOC emissions for the San Joaquin Valley NAA in 2010....More
May 16, 2012

News

Nitrogen management focus of farmland forums

The California Department of Food and Agriculture and University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources will be hosting the two community forums to explore solutions to nitrate in groundwater and the role of policy....More
May 11, 2012

News

EPA advisory panel discusses bee protection and pesticides

Bee protection is now threatening to affect crops not dependent on bees for pollination and has become increasingly important to the registration of pesticides used on cotton. Beekeepers have become aggressive in their demands that applications not be made during bloom which would severely affect cotton production....More
May 8, 2012

News

New herbicide traits challenged

The Save Our Crops Coalition (SOCC) initiated legal action to force government regulators to analyze potential problems with proposed biotech crops tolerant of the synthetic auxin herbicides, which include 2,4-D and dicamba....More
May 2, 2012

News

California pesticide dealers hit with $105,000 fine

Two California pesticide dealers were penalized a total of $105,000 for knowingly selling a pesticide product for a use not allowed by the label — controlling mites on peaches. More than 2.4 million pounds of peaches with an estimated value of more than $1.1 million were affected....More
Apr. 27, 2012

News

Webinar addresses honey bee pesticide exposure 2

Insecticides known as neonicotinoids are used extensively. Recently, Purdue University associate professor of entomology Christian Krupke offered a webinar on honey bees and neonicotinoids....More
Apr. 26, 2012

News

Strawberry industry in urgent need of fumigant alternatives 2

California’s strawberry industry urgently needs practical and cost-effective ways to grow strawberries without soil fumigants. California grows 88 percent of the nation’s strawberries. Fumigants are gaseous pesticides injected into the soil of agricultural fields prior to planting....More
Apr. 24, 2012

News

EPA proposes methyl bromide tolerance for cottonseed

EPA is proposing to establish a tolerance for residues of the fumigant methyl bromide in or on undelinted cottonseed at 150 parts per million (ppm). USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is supportive of EPA's proposal....More
Apr. 23, 2012

News

Pesticide safety a must for farmers 1

Pesticides are used as crop protectants on many farms, but can pose potential harmful risks. Pesticide applicators need to follow safety practices to reduce risks for the environment, other people, and especially themselves....More
Apr. 17, 2012

News

Junk science triumphs over methyl iodide

The methyl iodide dispute has been manufactured from the beginning. When the strawberry industry began using methyl bromide in the 1960s, it was seen as a godsend to growers, and it was. Strawberries could not be grown in the same ground for at least five years after the previous crop because of the presence of verticillium wilt (a bacterium) and other diseases....More
Apr. 13, 2012

News

Eastern Europe awash in obsolete pesticides

  It is estimated that around 200 000 tons of obsolete pesticides, nearly half the world's stockpiles, can be found in twelve former Soviet Union republics. Kept in tens of thousands of unprotected sites, they pose a serious threat to the health of the people around them and to the environment....More
Apr. 12, 2012

News

EPA rejects NRDC request to cancel 2,4-D registrations

In a petition filed on Nov. 6, 2008, the Natural Resources Defense Council requested that EPA cancel all product registrations and revoke all tolerances (legal residue limits in food) for the pesticide 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, or 2,4-D. EPA is denying the request to revoke all tolerances and the request to cancel all registrations....More
Mar. 28, 2012

Commentary

Plenty of blame to go around for Midas’ demise 2

The recent announcement from Arysta LifeScience that it was immediately suspending sales of the fumigant Midas (methyl iodide) in the U.S. was really no surprise. It ends one of the most polarizing sagas in the long history of California’s go-it-alone pesticide registration process. Pitting the California Department of Pesticide Regulation, Arysta, politicians, growers, commodity groups and radical environmentalists against each other resulted in a no-win for all....More
Mar. 27, 2012

News

Beekeepers petition EPA to ban pesticide 1

Beekeepers and environmental organizations in California submitted a petition requesting EPA to revoke the registration of clothianidin, a neonicotinoid insecticide used in cotton for control of thrips, aphids, cutworms, plant bugs, stink bugs and white flies....More
Mar. 23, 2012

News

Strawberry industry in tight spot as methyl iodide pulled

Methyl iodide use overseas puts U.S. strawberry growers at a disadvantage....More
Mar. 22, 2012

News

Pesticide drift often caused by 'satellite' droplets

Pesticide drift can be caused by chemical additives that lead to "satellite" droplets.Pesticide drift can be caused by chemical additives that lead to "satellite" droplets. Understanding how the additives work together means they could be designed to decrease the health, environmental and property damage risks caused by drift. The research will also have applications in food processing and rocket propulsion, where drop sizes are important....More
Mar. 21, 2012

News

Pesticide exemption database for California goes online

The California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) has developed an easy-to-use, Web-based database to provide information on pesticides allowed for use on a limited basis under emergency conditions...More
Mar. 20, 2012

News

Pesticides get undue blame in honey bee decline 10

Multiple factors contribute to the declining honey bee population, not just one class of insecticides. Multiple factors affecting colony health include pathogens, parasites, pesticides and malnutrition. Beekeepers continue to lose 40 to 100 percent of their colonies annually....More
Mar. 15, 2012

News

Winter cover crops avoid irrigation dependence

Cover cropping ‘on the cheap’ — relying only on rainfall for irrigation — supplies many benefits and doesn’t cost much. Growing a winter cover crop helps retain soil nitrogen – keeping it from leaching into groundwater – improves water infiltration, reduces runoff, increases soil organic matter and boosts long-term soil fertility....More
Mar. 15, 2012

News

Californians at risk from nitrate contamination in water 1

Nitrogen in organic and synthetic fertilizers has dramatically increased crop production in California in recent decades. However, excess nitrate in groundwater from surface nitrogen use has been linked to thyroid illnesses, some cancers and reproductive problems....More
Mar. 9, 2012

News

Biopesticides market soon to hit $3.4 billion

The global market for biopesticides is projected to reach $3.4 billion by the year 2017. Growth will primarily be driven by growing environmental concerns and politically influenced regulatory riders imposing restrictions on the use of traditional products...More