ISSUE 13  July 27, 2000

EPA DECLARES EXEMPTION ON HERBICIDE FOR SEED PEAS

    The EPA has granted a crisis exemption Section 18 for Gramoxone Extra for preharvest application in dry and green field pea. Some weeds controlled are lambsquarter, nightshade, mustard, pigweed and mayweed. The above-normal rainfall in many parts caused ideal weed growth and warrented the Section 18. Gramoxone Extra as a dessicant will burn down weeds and speed harvesting operations.

    The exemption allows a single application of 1.5 pints of product per acre in a minimum of 20-40 gallons of water per acre by ground, or in a minimum of 7-10 gallons of water by air.

    A 7-day pre-harvest interval must be observed, and grazing of treated green peas or dry peas grown for seed fields after treatment with Gramoxone Extra is prohibited. A maximum of 3,000 acres may be treated.

    EPA has been approached to extend the use of Gramoxone Extra beyond the crisis exemption's Aug. 4 expiration date.

TRIPLE-RESISTANT CANOLA WEEDS FOUND IN ALBERTA

    A volunteer canola resistant to three herbicide-tolerant canola systems was documented from a field in northern Alberta. A series of chemical and DNA tests confirm the weed are resistant to Roundup, Liberty and Pursuit chemicals. It is being described as the first official case of natural gene stacking in canola since genetically modified canola was adopted by farmers five years ago. Controlling the triple-resistant canola may not be difficult since effective products like 2,4-D or a similar herbicide can be used, but this example may continue to fuel public abstinence toward accepting the biotechnology
in crops.

    Important questions can be asked: Should the grower stop growing genetically modified canola? What is in the best interest of the consumer? At what distance should crops carrying different traits be planted? Should labs test confirming resistance be made public?

    The grower seeded two fields of canola in 1997. On one side of the road he planted Roundup resistant canola. On the other side he planted Liberty resistant canola. In the same field he also planted Imi resistant canola. The year after he discovered volunteer canola plants resistant to Roundup where none had been planted. Double resistance was confirmed the first year and triple resistance was confirmed the next year. The mixing of all three herbicide-tolerant types has been blamed on a combination of bees and wind that carry pollen between plants in fields too close together.

MERGERS OF TWO CHEMICAL COMPANIES

    BASF has announced successful acquisition of American Cyanamid Crop Protection.

UPDATE ON MERGER OF TWO MORE CHEMICAL COMPANIES

    The Federal Trade Commission is still reviewing the merger of Novartis and Zeneca. The facilitate the merger, the companies has offered to divest Flint fungicide and acetochlor (active ingredient in Surpass, TopNotch, others).

Richard Zollinger
NDSU Extension Weed Specialist
rzolling@ndsuext.nodak.edu