The Fruit Growers News

Apple and grape growers who use Lorsban after bloom to control insects are looking for other alternatives after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) slashed uses of its active ingredient, chlorpyrifos.

EPA’s June 8 announcement got the most attention for its virtual banning of chlorpyrifos products (Dursban) in homes and gardens. Agricultural uses were let off the hook, with the exception of apples, grapes and tomatoes.

Under the agreement between EPA and pesticide manufacturer Dow Agro Sciences, Lorsban 4EC and 50WP/WS may only be applied before bloom in apples. EPA also wants to reduce the tolerance for residues in apples. That tolerance is currently set at 1.5 parts per million.

In addition, the rates of Lorsban are being lowered reduce residue on grapes, and its use is being eliminated for tomatoes.

The two formulations of Lorsban, when packed in containers smaller than 25 pounds, will become Restricted Use Pesticides (RUPs) as of Feb. 1, 2001. Restricted entry intervals (REIs) will be extended for some fruit and vegetable crops, but are not likely to affect current worker practices in most crops, according to Dow AgroSciences. The changes will have almost no effect on Lorsban 15G, which rains a non-RUP material.

The new restrictions take place Dec. 31, 2000.

Chlorpyrifos is an organophosphate insecticide that is widely used against termites. It is also used against mosquitoes and applied on lawns, turf and ornamentals, indoor cracks and crevices and as an active ingredient in pet collars. It is used on these fruit and vegetable crops, along with the ones already mentioned: cranberries, strawberries, pears, nectarines, cherries, peaches, plums, onions, peppers, kale, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, collards, cucurbits, asparagus, roots/tubers, corn, lentils, beans and peas.

Lorsban is applied as a dormant spray in apples against rosy apple aphid, San Jose scale, Lygus bug, pandemic leafroller, climbing cutworms and obliquebanded leafrollers (OBLR). Post-bloom applications have targeted dogwood borer, leafrollers, San Jose scale and codling moth.

The two major insect pests affected for Michigan growers will be OBLR and dogwood borer, according to John Wise, Michigan State University tree fruit entomologist. In cases where there are moderate levels of organophosphate resistance, Lorsban has tended to be the best material against OBLR, he said.

Dogwood borer is a tougher pest to evaluate. Are they truly a new pest or are they moving into orchards at a higher rate due to reduced use of organophosphate insecticides?

“You start taking those OPs out and using other, more selective compounds with lesser impact on non-target pests, and suddenly we start seeing a much higher impact from things like dogwood borer,” said Wise. “Now there’s nothing indirectly controlling that population. If this is true, then the loss of Lorsban for (post-bloom) trunk sprays in apple would be really significant.”

On grapes east of the Mississippi River, Lorsban 4E is used against grape root borer. California grape growers use it as a dormant spray against mealybug.

Dow AgroSciences said it agreed to restrict use of chlorpyrifos products because of market considerations, not because of any problems with safety. The real issues, according to the company, are the fundamental changes in how pesticides are being regulated since passage of the Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA) in 1996.

The voluntary agreement between Dow AgroSciences and the EPA may be setting a precedent that would be harmful to agriculture, said an official of the Michigan Farm Bureau.

“Because this is a voluntary agreement, we are concerned that EPA is failing to follow accepted regulatory practices and is using the back door to meet FQPA requirements,” said Ken Nye, Farm Bureau horticulture and forestry specialist. “The danger in that is that agriculture is not at the table to voice its concerns about how that affects production and, ultimately, our food supply.”

The regulatory process has failed apple and grape growers in two respects, Nye explained. High residues fill part of the “risk cup” for apples, tomatoes and grapes on crops imported into the U.S. This means that some uses of Lorsban are being canceled for American farmers because of practices in other countries, many of whom are direct competitors in the world marketplace.

The second issue is that, under the new law, EPA is regulating pesticides at a 99.9% exposure level, rather than the traditional 95th percentile used in Europe. If EPA would lower the chlorpyrifos level even a few tenths of a percent, all risk disappears for chlorpyrifos.



		EPA Takes Bite Out of Lorsban Use By Lee Dean Managing Editor Apple and grape growers who use Lorsban after bloom to control insects are looking for other alternatives after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) slashed uses of its active ingredient, chlorpyrifos. EPA’s June 8 announcement got the most attention for its virtual banning of chlorpyrifos products (Dursban) in homes and gardens. Agricultural uses were let off the hook, with the exception of apples, grapes and tomatoes. Under the agreement between EPA and pesticide manufacturer Dow Agro Sciences, Lorsban 4EC and 50WP/WS may only be applied before bloom in apples. EPA also wants to reduce the tolerance for residues in apples. That tolerance is currently set at 1.5 parts per million. In addition, the rates of Lorsban are being lowered reduce residue on grapes, and its use is being eliminated for tomatoes. The two formulations of Lorsban, when packed in containers smaller than 25 pounds, will become Restricted Use Pesticides (RUPs) as of Feb. 1, 2001. Restricted entry intervals (REIs) will be extended for some fruit and vegetable crops, but are not likely to affect current worker practices in most crops, according to Dow AgroSciences. The changes will have almost no effect on Lorsban 15G, which rains a non-RUP material. The new restrictions take place Dec. 31, 2000. Chlorpyrifos is an organophosphate insecticide that is widely used against termites. It is also used against mosquitoes and applied on lawns, turf and ornamentals, indoor cracks and crevices and as an active ingredient in pet collars. It is used on these fruit and vegetable crops, along with the ones already mentioned: cranberries, strawberries, pears, nectarines, cherries, peaches, plums, onions, peppers, kale, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, collards, cucurbits, asparagus, roots/tubers, corn, lentils, beans and peas. Lorsban is applied as a dormant spray in apples against rosy apple aphid, San Jose scale, Lygus bug, pandemic leafroller, climbing cutworms and obliquebanded leafrollers (OBLR). Post-bloom applications have targeted dogwood borer, leafrollers, San Jose scale and codling moth. The two major insect pests affected for Michigan growers will be OBLR and dogwood borer, according to John Wise, Michigan State University tree fruit entomologist. In cases where there are moderate levels of organophosphate resistance, Lorsban has tended to be the best material against OBLR, he said. Dogwood borer is a tougher pest to evaluate. Are they truly a new pest or are they moving into orchards at a higher rate due to reduced use of organophosphate insecticides? “You start taking those OPs out and using other, more selective compounds with lesser impact on non-target pests, and suddenly we start seeing a much higher impact from things like dogwood borer,” said Wise. “Now there’s nothing indirectly controlling that population. If this is true, then the loss of Lorsban for (post-bloom) trunk sprays in apple would be really significant.” On grapes east of the Mississippi River, Lorsban 4E is used against grape root borer. California grape growers use it as a dormant spray against mealybug. Dow AgroSciences said it agreed to restrict use of chlorpyrifos products because of market considerations, not because of any problems with safety. The real issues, according to the company, are the fundamental changes in how pesticides are being regulated since passage of the Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA) in 1996. The voluntary agreement between Dow AgroSciences and the EPA may be setting a precedent that would be harmful to agriculture, said an official of the Michigan Farm Bureau. “Because this is a voluntary agreement, we are concerned that EPA is failing to follow accepted regulatory practices and is using the back door to meet FQPA requirements,” said Ken Nye, Farm Bureau horticulture and forestry specialist. “The danger in that is that agriculture is not at the table to voice its concerns about how that affects production and, ultimately, our food supply.” The regulatory process has failed apple and grape growers in two respects, Nye explained. High residues fill part of the “risk cup” for apples, tomatoes and grapes on crops imported into the U.S. This means that some uses of Lorsban are being canceled for American farmers because of practices in other countries, many of whom are direct competitors in the world marketplace. The second issue is that, under the new law, EPA is regulating pesticides at a 99.9% exposure level, rather than the traditional 95th percentile used in Europe. If EPA would lower the chlorpyrifos level even a few tenths of a percent, all risk disappears for chlorpyrifos.












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