AgroPages-Canada to cut diazinon use-Agricultural news

The Canadian Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) proposes to phase out most uses of the organophosphate insecticide, diazinon, because of concerns over risks to human health and the environment. Some uses will be phased out "as soon as practical", while others will be allowed to continue until the end of 2012. This should allow time for users to switch to alternative products, the PMRA points out. Risk mitigation measures would be put in place during the phase-out period.

The PMRA intends to end all foliar applications of diazinon to food and feed crops and outdoor ornamentals and to end the use of all granular formulations on food crops. Seed treatments for beans, maize, onions, peas, potatoes, radishes and sugar beet would also be phased out. Other uses to be banned would be airblast treatments of Christmas trees and all applications to greenhouse peppers, tomatoes, mushroom houses and tobacco seedlings.

The phase-out timetable would depend on whether registered alternatives were available and on comments received after a preliminary risk and value assessment was issued in 2005. Uses not identified as "key" would be subject to a short-term phase-out, along with uses where the loss of diazinon would have little impact. A longer-term phase-out would be carried out when loss of diazinon would result in crop injury or where there were no viable alternatives. The PMRA will consult registrants and stakeholders to establish "realistic" phase-out periods.

The diazinon applications that will be allowed to continue beyond 2012 are emulsifiable concentrate and wettable powder formulations applied as a soil drench to blackberries, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbages, cauliflowers, loganberries, onions, raspberries, rutabaga and turnips. Additional risk-reduction measures would have to be included on certain diazinon product labels. The PMRA would also require additional data, such as neurotoxicity studies. It might also require water surveillance data, pending the implementation of interim measures.