PEP-Talk, August, 2002

Pesticide Education Program
Ohio State University Extension
Joanne Kick-Raack, State Coordinator
Cindy Folck, Communications
Vol. 6, Issue 8

In This Issue

Vinegar Weed Control

Recently, several newspapers have printed a news article about USDA research on vinegar as an herbicide. You may be getting phone calls from homeowners about the efficacy of vinegar for weed control.

The original research of the media news release is detailed on the USDA Sustainable Agricultural Systems Laboratory website. The research results showed greater efficacy when the vinegar was used at 10,15 or 20% acetic acid concentration. Consumers need to realize that the vinegar purchased at the grocery store only has about 5% acetic acid concentration, which is generally only effective during the first two weeks of the weed's life.

Using vinegar as a herbicide opens the issue of 25(b) products and labels. In 1996, EPA provided that pesticide products made from certain ingredients that pose minimum risks could be exempted from federal registration requirements. A list of these ingredients is available on the web.

What about vinegar and other natural products which are promoted by television and radio gardening experts? While reduced risk products are exempt from federal registration requirements, they are still supposed to carry a label if pesticidal claims are made. But, this doesn't help the county Extension agent in answering questions about the efficacy of natural products. And some natural products, such as pepper juice, can be an irritant the eye or skin. In fact, the MSDS for vinegar lists the following precautions:

  • Skin Contact: Contact may cause mild injury and burns from vinegars of 11% acetic acid and greater. Dilute solutions may cause dermatitis in some individuals.
  • Eye Contact: May cause severe burns and permanent corneal injury from concentrated vinegars. May be followed by blindness. High vapor concentrations may result in conjunctivitis.
  • Ingestion: Concentrated vinegars may cause pain, irritation and burns in mouth, gullet and stomach.

When natural products and home remedies do not carry a label as a pesticide, there are no legal rates, use precautions/recommendations and personal protective equipment information. Because of this, we have traditionally encouraged counties to only recommend labeled pesticide products.

We will explore this subject in future issues of PEP-Talk newsletter and at the 2003 Pesticide Applicator Training Agent Inservice in the afternoon of January 8. Because the credibility of OSU Extension depends on giving our clientele recommendations backed by research, we want to explore this issue with agents and state specialists. Plan to attend the inservice, January 8 and 9, 2003 at the OSU Fawcett Center.

Non-English Labels

Currently, most pesticide labels are required to be written only in English. However, there is increasing demand for labels to be available in other languages to accommodate a growing number of non-English speaking pesticide applicators. For example, the lawn care industry and other industries are seeing an increase in Hispanic/Latino workers.

Proposals for Spanish labels have failed to win support from state pesticide regulators, who must ensure that the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) rules and label statements are observed. One issue is that inaccurate translations of the English labels into Spanish labels could lead to FIFRA violations. Also, many states do not have the money available to provide training, testing and registration in foreign languages. (Source: Pesticide & Toxic Chemical News, Vol. 30, No. 37)

Imports of Lower-Cost Canadian Pesticides

American farmers may be able to buy lower-cost Canadian pesticides through bills that have been introduced to the House and Senate by North Dakota lawmakers. The proposed legislation would allow states to register Canadian pesticides that are identical or substantially similar to U.S. EPA-registered pesticides.

Farmers in the northern U.S. have contended that pesticides registered in Canada are available for substantially lower cost. Pesticide registrants say its because the Canadian registration process is less expensive, but lawmakers and regulators from northern states contend that pesticide companies take advantage of the American farmers having more cash flow.

Amendments to the bills are trying to determine if the pesticides would be restricted to individual farmers, or available to distributors. Currently, Canada allows its growers to import less expensive U.S. pesticides through a permit system. (Source: Pesticide & Toxic Chemical News, Vol. 30, No. 39)

Mosquito Trap Recalled

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, The Coleman Co. is voluntarily recalling propane Mosquito Deleto Traps. The traps lure mosquitoes by emitting a plume of carbon dioxide and moisture, which mimics large mammals. The carbon dioxide is produced by catalytically converting propane. The concern is that the propane regulators could leak or allow an overflow of propane gas creating a fire hazard. (Source: Pesticide & Toxic Chemical News, Vol. 30, No. 39)

Quebec Plans to Ban Non-Agricultural Pesticides

The Canadian province of Quebec announced plans to ban the use of most non-farm pesticides by 2005. The province will immediately move to ban 28 pesticides on public lands, including parks, schools, day-care centers and hospitals. As of 2005, the ban will be extended to private and commercial lands. Golf courses will have to develop strategies to significantly reduce pesticide use by 2005. Pesticide use on agricultural land will not be affected. (Source: Pesticide & Toxic Chemical News, Vol. 30, No. 37)

Pesticide Residues on Fruits and Vegetables

A recent report from the Consumers Union and Organic Materials Review Institute says that organic foods contain fewer residues of pesticides than conventionally grown varieties. The report of government-collected data found pesticide residue on 23 percent of organic fruits and vegetables and on nearly 75 percent of conventionally grown produce. However, the residues were seldom even close to the limits set by EPA. (Source: Associated Press, May 8, 2002; Pesticide & Toxic Chemical News, Vol. 30, No. 29)

The Food Marketing Institute conducted its 2002 "Trends" survey of 1,000 grocery shoppers and found that 64 percent identified "residues from pesticides" and 33 percent named "foods produced by biotechnology" as serious health threats. The top concern, among a list of 10, was "bacteria or germs" and "product tampering" followed by pesticides. Biotechnology ranked ninth. (Source: CropLife America Spotlight, May 17, 2002.)

Food Safety Article on the Web

The May issue of "National Geographic" contained an article on the safety of the food chain. The article is on the web in a pictorial video with the photographer narrating the story. View the video online.

Pesticide Crop Watch

Insecticides

Disulfoton (DySyston) - EPA has said this organophosphate pesticide will be eligible for re-registration after risk mitigation measures are put in place. Disulfoton is used on cotton, winter wheat, potatoes, tobacco, peanuts, asparagus, field corn and barley. Uses for tobacco were cancelled February 11, 2002. Dietary disulfoton uses for barley, wheat, potatoes and ornamentals will be phased out by June 2004. Closed mixing/loading systems will be required by December 31, 2002 and closed loading systems for granular formulations will be required by June, 2004. Application by open, handheld equipment (including belly grinders and bucket and spoon) will be prohibited after June 2004. Click here for more information about disulfoton.

Organophosphates - EPA has extended the comment period for its organophosphate-pesticide risk assessment. Click here for more information on the comment period.

Fenpyroximate - EPA's Reduced Risk Committee granted Nichino America's miticide and insecticide, fenpyroximate, conventional "reduced-risk" status on apples, grapes and cotton. Fenpyroximate is "soft" on beneficial insects and predatory mites and will work with IPM strategies. Resistance management is a problem with mites since there are numbers of generations in a year. Fenpyroximate will add another miticide to the growers set of tools that will allow them to rotate this product with others on the market to control the mites.

Fipronil - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is contemplating the grant of a worldwide exclusive license to Aventis Environmental Sciences to control the spread of ticks that vector Lyme disease. This invention prevents the maturation of deer ticks on whitefooted mice by exposing the mice to fipronil as they enter the food-baited boxes.

Herbicides

Alachlor, bentazon and pebulate were determined by EPA to pose no threat to Pacific salmon, and would not warrant a consultation with the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). EPA was ordered to determine if it should engage the NMFS in consultations of the risks that 55 pesticides pose to salmonids. These three herbicides were the first to be reviewed.

(Sources for Pesticide Crop Watch: Pesticide & Toxic Chemical News, Vol. 30, No. 39; Chemically Speaking, University of Florida Extension, June 2002)

Upcoming Events

Agent Inservice
January 8 & 9, 2003, Fawcett Center, Columbus

Commercial Recertification Conference
General Conference (turf, ornamental, industrial vegetation, general pest, termite) November 26, 2002 - Cleveland, Holiday Inn Independence
December 17, 2002 - Dayton Columbus Center
January 15, 2003 - Perrysburg, Holiday Day Inn French Quarters
February 6, 2003 - Columbus Convention Center

Commercial Recertification Conference
Field Crop Conference (agricultural pest, agronomic weed)
January 29, 2003 - Columbus, OSU Fawcett Center
February 12, 2003 - Lima Holiday Inn

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