Contact: Donna Gilson, 608-224-5130, donna.gilson@wi.gov Bill Cosh, Communications Director, 608-224-5020, William2.Cosh@wi.gov
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MADISON – Public comments are open through Tuesday, Nov. 15, on a proposed special pesticide registration that would allow potato growers to apply the fungicide Omega® 500F to the soil to prevent powdery scab.
The active ingredient in the product is fluazinam. Omega® 500F is registered with the Environmental Protection Agency and in Wisconsin to control fungal diseases in several crops, including potatoes. However, its use is limited to spraying it on the plants. Research has shown that it provides better control against powdery scab when applied in-furrow.
Powdery scab damages the surface of potatoes, leaving them unmarketable, and exposes the plant to other diseases. It flourishes in cool, wet conditions. Because its spores may remain in the soil 10-20 years, crop rotation is not an effective strategy to eliminate it, and only three other products are available in Wisconsin to suppress it, all with the same active ingredient.
ISK Biosciences Corp. manufactures Omega® 500F, and Syngenta distributes it in the United States. A previous special registration for this use expired Dec. 31, 2015.
The preliminary environmental assessment indicates that the proposed registration will not require a full environmental assessment. This special registration will expire Dec. 31, 2020.
For a copy of the assessment, contact Otto Oemig, DATCP, P.O. Box 8911, Madison, WI, 53708-8911, 608-224-4542, otto.oemig@wisconsin.gov. It is also available for review at the department Monday-Friday, 7:45 a.m.-4:30 p.m., 2811 Agriculture Dr., Madison, second floor. Comments received on or before 4:30 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 15, will become part of the preliminary environmental assessment record. Send comments to Otto Oemig by mail at the above postal or email address.
The special registration process allows states to register additional uses of pesticide products other than those listed on their labels, without prior federal approval. It helps growers address local pest problems that cannot be adequately controlled by any available federally registered product. These problems include insect outbreaks, fungal diseases, and grasses and weeds that outcompete crops. Details about the special registration process are available online.
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