Jan 29, 2024NPC submits comments regarding proposed label changes for Chlorothalonil
The National Potato Council has joined state potato associations in submitting comments to the EPA regarding proposed label changes for Chlorothalonil (tradename Bravo).
The comments on the EPA’s Proposed Interim Decision included input from potato growers on the perceived impact of the proposed mitigations related to annual maximum application rate reduction on vulnerable and non-vulnerable soils, spray drift mitigations, requirement to increase droplet size, probation of applications during inversions, probation of applications on saturated soils, and the creation of buffers to all aquatic areas.
The comments represented use data on more than 150,000 acres of potatoes in 20 states.
“We believe it is essential for the agency to ensure the future availability of chlorothalonil remains an economical tool in potato production in the United States,” NPC wrote in its comments (.pdf). “We believe the real-world information from the environmentally conscious producers on the actual use of Chlorothalonil and the other fungicides used to protect the U.S. potato crop needs to be included in the agency’s decision to ensure that their decisions do not provide a negative economic impact on producers or provide a pathway for the development of resistance to any of the pest management tools used by any of the pathogens that are detrimental to the industry.”
