The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued last Friday a long-term approval for the insecticide sulfoxaflor \u0336 an effective tool to control challenging pests with fewer environmental impacts. After conducting an extensive risk analysis, including the review of one of the agency\u2019s largest datasets on the effects of a pesticide on bees, EPA is approving the use of sulfoxaflor on alfalfa, corn, cacao, grains (millet, oats), pineapple, sorghum, teff, teosinte, tree plantations, citrus, cotton, cucurbits (squash, cucumbers, watermelons, some gourds), soybeans, and strawberries.<\/p>\n
\u201cEPA is providing long-term certainty for U.S. growers to use an important tool to protect crops and avoid potentially significant economic losses, while maintaining strong protection for pollinators,\u201d said Alexandra Dapolito Dunn, assistant administrator for EPA\u2019s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention. \u201cToday\u2019s decision shows the agency\u2019s commitment to making decisions that are based on sound science.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sulfoxaflor is an important and highly effective tool for growers that targets difficult pests such as sugarcane aphids and tarnished plant bugs, also known as lygus. These pests can damage crops and cause significant economic loss. Additionally, there are few viable alternatives for sulfoxaflor for these pests. In many cases, alternative insecticides may be effective only if applied repeatedly or in a tank mix, whereas sulfoxaflor often requires fewer applications, resulting in less risk to aquatic and terrestrial wildlife.
\nEPA\u2019s registration also includes updated requirements for product labels, which will include crop-specific restrictions and pollinator protection language.<\/p>\n
Background<\/p>\n
In 2016, following a 2015 decision of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals vacating the registration of sulfoxaflor citing inadequate data on the effects on bees, EPA reevaluated the data and approved registrations that did not include crops that attract bees. The 2016 registration allowed fewer uses than the initial registration and included additional interim restrictions on application while new data on bees were being obtained. Today\u2019s action, adding new uses, restoring previous uses, and removing certain application restrictions is backed by substantial data supporting the use of sulfoxaflor.<\/p>\n
Source: U.S. EPA<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"