PEP-Talk, October, 2007

Pesticide Education Program
Ohio State University Extension
Joanne Kick-Raack, State Coordinator
Cindy Folck, Communications
Vol. 11, Issue 7

IN THIS ISSUE

• Extension Educator Inservice
• Carbamate Pesticides to be Reviewed
• One-Year Registration for Methyl Bromide Alternative
• Ontario Proposes Ban on Pesticides
• Ion-Generating Equipment
• China Struggles with Banned Pesticides
• Help Needed at Pesticide Conferences
• Beyond the Drift
• Pesticide Crop Watch
• Upcoming Events

EXTENSION EDUCATOR INSERVICE
The Pesticide Applicator Training Educator Inservice will be held on December 5 and 6, 2007. The event will be held in the Agriculture Auditorium in the Agriculture Administration Building on OSU main campus in Columbus. Registration information is available on the Pesticide Education Program website at: http://pested.osu.edu/educatorinservice.htm

This inservice is for Extension educators, specialists, associates or program assistants involved with pesticide applicator training. The agenda will include special segments on “Triple-Stacked Traits and Plant Health Programs” during the day of Wednesday, December 5 with agronomic crops, regulation and core updates. Thursday, December 6, will focus on core, noncropland and horticulture topics.

Again, this year there will be an Educator Planning and ANR Issues Meeting on Wednesday evening, 5:30 - 8:00. The dinner meeting is coordinated by Steve Baertsche, Assistant Director, Agriculture and Natural Resources.

CARBAMATE PESTICIDES TO BE REVIEWED
EPA has released the cumulative human health risk assessment for the N-methyl carbamate class of pesticides, which includes:
aldicarb
carbaryl
carbofuran
formetanate hydrochloridemethiocarb
methomyl
oxamyl
pirimicarb
propoxur
thiodicarb

EPA determined that N-methyl carbamate meets the residue limits for food and feed. This means the pesticides will be eligible for reregistration eligibility. The next step is each individual pesticide product must complete a product reregistration. This step will include any product labeling changes and associated risk mitigation measures.

Public comment will be accepted for this assessment of the N-methyl carbamates until mid-November. More information is available at: http://www.epa.gov/oppsrrd1/cumulative/carbamate_fs.htm

The reassessment of food tolerances for the N-methyl carbamate class marks the completion of the Food Quality Protection Act mandate issued to EPA in the 1990’s. All 9,721 food/feed pesticide tolerances have now been reevaluated. (Source: EPA Office of Pesticide Programs website)

ONE-YEAR REGISTRATION FOR METHYL BROMIDE ALTERNATIVE
The soil fumigant iodomethane (methyl iodide) has been approved by EPA for one year as a restricted use product. Iodomethane is a methyl bromide alternative that can be used as a pre-plant soil fumigant to control plant pathogens, nematodes, insects and weeds.

Iodomethane can be used on the following crops:
Strawberries
Tomatoes
Peppers
Ornamentals
Turf
Trees
Vines

Some of the restrictive provisions include buffer zones specified on the label that are based on the treated area. Workers or bystanders can not enter the buffer zone for 48 hours and application sites must be limited to 40 acres/day. Iodomethane can not be used within one-quarter mile of any occupied sensitive site such as a school, day care facility, nursing home, hospital, prison or playground. Certified applicators must complete a training and certification program developed by the registrant. The entry restricted period is five days and there are further restricted entry and personal protective equipment that will be on the label.

More information is available at: http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/factsheets/iodomethane_fs.htm
(Source: EPA Office of Pesticide Programs website)

ONTARIO PROPOSES BAN ON PESTICIDES
Ontario’s premier has proposed to ban cosmetic pesticides in urban areas in the province. The ban would include weed and bug killers for lawns, gardens and parks. This would expand similar bans that have been enacted by municipalities in Canada. The City of Toronto has passed laws that restrict pesticides on public and private property. Beginning in October, homeowners who spray weeds on their lawns will face fines from the city. (Source: Pesticide & Toxic Chemical News, Vol. 35, No. 46)

ION-GENERATING EQUIPMENT
Ion-generating equipment that is marketed to control or repel pests will have to be registered with the EPA. FIFRA (Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act) provides that a product that incorporates a substance or mixture of substances intended to prevent, destroy, repel or mitigate pests then it is considered to be a pesticide and is required to be registered. What does not need to be registered as a pesticide is a device, which is a product that only uses physical or mechanical means to trap, destroy, repel or mitigate a pest.

An example is a silver ion-generating washing machine that is marketed with claims that it will kill bacteria on clothing. Silver is already regulated as a pesticide active ingredient in other registered products. In these cases, EPA will evaluate products on an individual basis to determine if it is a pesticide or a device.

More information is available at: http://www.epa.gov/oppad001/ion_gen_equip.htm
(Source: EPA Office of Pesticide Programs website)

CHINA STRUGGLES WITH BANNED PESTICIDES
The Agriculture Ministry in China has launched a campaign to eliminate use of banned pesticides. The government is also compiling a list of companies still manufacturing these pesticides. Currently, according to Reuters, China uses twice as much pesticides annually than is needed.
(Source: Rueters, 8/8/07 via Chemically Speaking, University of Florida Extension, September 2007)

HELP NEEDED AT PESTICIDE CONFERENCES
The Ohio Commercial Pesticide Applicator Recertification Conferences have been scheduled. The dates and locations are:
General Conferences
November 20, 2007 – John S. Knight Center, Akron
January 15, 2008 – Dayton Convention Center
February 19, 2008 – Holiday Inn French Quarter, Perrysburg
February 26, 2008 – Columbus Convention Center

Field Crop Conferences
December 12, 2007 – Ohio State University, Lima Campus
March 5, 2008 – OSU Fawcett Center, Columbus

The Pesticide Education Program needs help with moderators in the rooms and people to help with registration at the conferences. OSU Extension personnel that help will be able to attend the conferences free of charge and receive commercial pesticide credit for the talks they attend. Please contact Cindy Folck at folck.2@osu.edu if you are an OSU Extension employee interested in helping.

BEYOND THE DRIFT
Chattanooga city officials have enlisted goats to control kudzu in a ridge area. The city is unable to use mechanical methods to eliminate the kudzu because of the steep slope. The goats have reduced the biomass and the city is holding classes to encourage more people to utilize goats for kudzu removal. (Source: International Herald Tribune, 7/5/07, via Chemically Speaking, University of Florida Extension, August 2007.)

PESTICIDE CROP WATCH
HERBICIDES
2,4-D – EPA has announced that there will be no special review of 2,4-D, 2,4-DB or 2,4-DP. The weight of the evidence of epidemiology and animal studies do not indicate that they are “likely human carcinogens.”

UPCOMING EVENTS
More information about these events at http://pested.osu.edu

COMMERCIAL PESTICIDE APPLICATOR RECERTIFICATION CONFERENCES
General Conferences
November 20, 2007 - John S. Knight Center, Akron
January 15, 2008 – Dayton Convention Center
February 19, 2008 – Holiday Inn French Quarter, Perrysburg
February 26, 2008 – Columbus Convention Center

Field Crop Conferences
December 12, 2007 – Ohio State University, Lima Campus
March 5, 2008 – OSU Fawcett Center, Columbus

--------------------------------------------------------------

OSU Extension embraces human diversity and is committed to ensuring that all educational programs conducted by Ohio State University Extension are available to clientele on a nondiscriminatory basis without regard to race, color, age, gender identity or expression, disability, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, or veteran status. Keith L. Smith, Associate Vice President for Agricultural Administration and Director, OSU Extension TDD No. 800-589-8292 (Ohio only) or 614-292-1868