Release Date: April 10, 2018
Media Contacts: Donna Gilson, (608) 224-5130
Bill Cosh, Communications Director, (608) 224-5020
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MADISON – Public comments will be accepted through April 17 on a proposed special pesticide registration of Topsin®, a fungicide for use on ginseng.
The special registration by the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection will allow growers to use the fungicide on ginseng to control the pests responsible for white mold and disappearing/rusty root rot. These diseases may discolor the roots, which makes the crop unfit for sale, and may even kill the plants. The root is the valuable portion of the ginseng plant.
Topsin® contains the active ingredient thiophanate-methyl. Nisso America Inc. and United Phosphorus Inc. registered the product for distribution in Wisconsin. It is registered for use on other crops, including beans, cucumbers, soybeans, and strawberries.
The preliminary environmental assessment indicates that the proposed registration will not require a full environmental assessment. This special registration will expire December 31, 2022.
For a copy of the assessment, contact Alyssa Foss, DATCP, P.O. Box 8911, Madison, WI, 53708-8911, (608) 224-4547. It is 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., April 17, will become part of the preliminary environmental assessment record. Send comments to Alyssa Foss by mail at the above address or by email at Alyssa.Foss@wi.gov.
The special registration process allows states to register additional uses of pesticide products 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 here.
DATCP had previously authorized a similar request for Topsin® that expired on Dec. 31, 2017. The department has not received any reports of adverse effects from previous special registrations of this product.
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