After a long wait, the horticultural industry has learned some positive news from the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) regarding the revised re-evaluation of mancozeb.

“Back in the fall of 2018, all field uses were proposed for cancellation,” says Chris Duyvelshoff, crop protection advisor for the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association.  “Comments and new data from growers and the registrants resulted in revisions to the risk assessments, which caused changes to the decision. 

Continued registration is now acceptable for the following crops, with additional risk mitigation measures:

-  The following uses are acceptable for continued use: foliar applications on potatoes, apples, onion, sugar beets, ginseng, field cucumbers, field tomatoes, grapes, pumpkin, squash, melon (incl cantaloupe, excl watermelon), and in-furrow application to onions

-  Cancelled uses to be removed from the labels: all seed treatments (incl potato), greenhouse use, pears, carrots, celery, lettuce, watermelon, lentil, wheat, alfalfa grown for seed, ornamentals, forestry, all applications using handheld equipment, and wettable powders or dusts

Additional risk mitigation measures such as changes to the application rates, maximum number of applications, re-entry intervals and post-harvest intervals,  etc. are expected on some crops.

The full PMRA re-evaluation report will be published on Thursday November 19, 2020.

Source:  Ontario Fruit & Vegetable Growers’ Association, November 17, 2020