EPA okays seed treatment for lentils

Sunday, March 18, 2007 3:14 PM CDT

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has approved a specific Section 18 exemption for the fungicides LSP Flowable Fungicide and Mertect 340-F Fungicide, allowing their use as a seed treatment to control Ascochyta blight in lentils.

“The most serious disease affecting lentils, seed-borne Ascochyta blight has been increasing in recent years,” said North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner Roger Johnson, who requested the exemption. “Although we have foliar fungicides registered for use on lentils to control Ascochyta, an effective seed treatment is needed to protect young seedlings from seed-borne Ascochyta.”

The exemption allows a single direct application of the fungicides as a seed treatment in a mixing chamber in a processor's seed-treating equipment. Users must follow all applicable directions, restrictions, and precautions on the EPA-registered product labels, as well as those outlined on the Section 18 exemption use directions.

Manual seed treatment is prohibited under the exemption and treated seed must be properly labeled. Treated seed may not be used for food, feed or oil processing. Leftover treated seed should not be stored but should be double-sown around the headland.

Livestock may not be fed or grazed on treated areas for four weeks after planting.

The exemption allows treatment of enough seed to plant 30,000 acres.

This specific exemption expires on June 1, 2007.

Bayer CropScience manufactures LSP Flowable Fungicide; Syngenta Crop Protection manufactures Mertect 340-F Fungicide. Johnson said both companies fully support the exemption request.

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