April 2004

Pesticide Potpourri

  • wpdoc17.gifIt has come to the Pesticide Information Office’s attention that members of the British Retail Consortium have circulated through Florida inspecting packing houses. This group will be documenting compliance to European Retail Parties Good Agricultural Practices (EUREGAP) requirements. Most retailers in Europe must be EUREGAP accredited by 2004. One of the requirements of such accreditation is that persons exporting to Europe fruit and vegetables treated with post-harvest pesticides must certify that people making such applications are trained. Consequently, at least one county office has been asked to provide some type of certification that addresses post-harvest applications. Only the fumigant license currently address post-harvest pesticide applications. It is suggested that those with a common interest in this topic address the FDACS to examine the utility of such licensing.
  • wpdoc18.gifNitrogen leaching is a major topic when it comes to water quality. In North Carolina, a turfgrass association has funded research that addresses how well selected warm-season turfgrasses absorb this nutrient. Heavily fertilized and highly irrigated common bermudagrass, Tifway hybrid bermudagrass, centipedegrass, St. Augustinegrass, and zoysiagrass were grown in the greenhouse and leachate collected for nitrogen analysis. Analytical results indicated that St. Augustinegrass and bermudagrass are more effective than centipedegrass or zoysiagrass in scavenging nitrogen. Researchers believed a more extensive root system helped these two species intercept more of the nutrient than the shallower root systems of centipedegrass or zoysiagrass. (The CPCO Advantage, March 2004).
  • wpdoc19.gifThe manufacturer of the “Mosquito Magnet” (American Biophysics Corp. of Rhode Island) has agreed to pay $500,000 to settle EPA charges that it failed to properly register a pesticide in violation of FIFRA. The Agency contends that the company failed to register the “octenol” attractant before selling the product in 2002. The company agreed to pay a $300,000 penalty and spend at least $200,000 to carry out three projects: a mosquito control effectiveness and surveillance program in RI, donation of mosquito control equipment to the state of RI, and donation of mosquito traps to numerous local or state entities for mosquito-related research, surveillance, and control. (Chemical Regulation Reporter, 3/15/04).
  • wpdoc20.gifA New Zealand researcher reported that contact with cows may help children ward off asthma early in life. The protective effect appears to come from an immune response to microorganisms, particularly bacterial endotoxin, picked up during contact with livestock. The researcher theorized that reduced exposure to microorganisms in hygiene- conscious western countries could explain the increasing prevalence of allergenic asthma in those areas. (Gainesville Sun, 3/7/04).
  • wpdoc21.gifThe USDA released the results of the Pesticide Data Program (PDP) for 2002 in February. More than half (58 percent) of the nearly 13,000 samples contained no detectable residues, while 19 percent contained one residue and 23 percent contained more than one residue. Of all samples, 0.3 percent exceeded the tolerance and 2.7 percent had residues for which no tolerance had been approved. (Pesticide & Toxic Chemical News, 2/23/04).
  • wpdoc22.gifThe Global Crop Diversity Trust, an international fund charged with securing long-term funding for the support of genebanks and crop diversity collections around the world, has obtained the commitments of Dupont and Syngenta for its program. The two companies pledged $1 M each. Formed in 2002 by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization and the 16 Future Harvest Centers of the Consultative Group on International Agriculture Research, the Trust has been charged with raising a $260 million endowment to maintain the world's most critical germplasm for agricultural and industrial crops as well as support struggling collections, especially those in developing countries. The crop diversity collections, holding millions of plant samples housed in gene banks, provide the raw material necessary for plant breeders to develop reliable, hardier, more productive and nutritious food crops for farmers. More information on the Trust is available at http://www.startwithaseed.org/items/homepage.php (Crop Biotech Update, 3/5/04 via Agnet).
  • Imagine a group of lobbyists getting together and turning their nose up at a particular product, then convincing the government to ban imports of the product. International trade prognosticators are predicting that's what could happen if the European Commission (EC) adopts an idea it is reportedly considering. Under the concept, outlined in a report by EC staffers, countries would be allowed to ban any imports that do not meet a country's "collective preferences." Rather than allowing consumers to dictate what they do and do not prefer by choosing what to purchase; governments would decide what products their citizens would see in the marketplace. According to a Financial Times article, the EC paper contends that current trade agreements are based too much on science and not enough on social values. However, details on how the "collective preferences" concept could be incorporated into World Trade Organization rules are unclear, and the EC report has not yet been made public. (Canola Ink Vol. 33, 3/18/04 via Agnet).
  • wpdoc23.gifA Pakistani trading company whose shipments of Australian wheat were rejected because of alleged contamination by a fungus not found in Australia is threatening a $30 million law suit against Pakistan. The Australian newspaper said Karachi-based importer Tradesman International alleges the real reason for the rejection of the shipments was profiteering by corrupt Pakistan government officials. Pakistan authorities refused to allow the four shipments to be unloaded two months ago after locally administered tests allegedly detected the fungal disease, Karnal bunt, which imparts a fishy smell that makes the grain unfit for human consumption. Karnal bunt has never been detected in Australia and Australian experts who tested the grain said they found none in the shipment. (Agence France Presse via Agnet, 4/12/04).
 

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