No Carzol SP® for onion thrips in 2009
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EmailEditor’s note: This article is from the archives of the MSU Crop Advisory Team Alerts. Check the label of any pesticide referenced to ensure your use is included.
Last
week, the board of the Michigan Onion Committee asked me to participate
in a conference call set up by the EPA to inform us of their intentions
regarding a renewal of a Section 18 emergency registration for Carzol
SP® (Gowan®) insecticide for onion thrips control in Michigan and
throughout the nation. Such a registration was authorized last year, but
expired September 15, 2008. It will not be issued in 2009.
According to EPA officials, recently accumulated data indicates that,
despite the clear need for an effective tool to control onion thrips,
the toxicological risks associated with Carzol make it unacceptable for
agricultural use. This is, of course disappointing news for onion
growers across the nation. The EPA staff indicated that they understand
the importance of thrips control in onions, and that currently
registered insecticides are usually not very effective. They are willing
to evaluate any other promising materials brought to their attention.
The EPA is concerned about the risks from Carzol SP® and the total
exposure from the entire group of carbamate insecticides (ie furadan,
sevin). Food residues are one area of concern. An even greater worry,
however, is the risk of drinking water contamination from the
carbamates. N-methylcarbamate insecticides act by blocking the action of
the enzyme cholinesterase, which regulates the flow of nerve impulses.
