Three Section 18 requests have been submitted to the EPA related to insecticide use in field crops.  Below is a brief update on the status of those requests.

Transform WG in Cotton for Control of Tarnished Plant Bug – Tennessee and the other mid-southern states have submitted Section 18 requests to allow the use of Transform in cotton. This is stemming from the cancellation of the existing Transform label late in 2015. The Tennessee request was sent some time ago, but we have not received any feedback. My understanding is the EPA will require a public comment period on these Section 18 requests.  You can continue to use any product that was purchased last year, but I’m not confident we will have Transform available in cotton this year.

Transform WG in Grain Sorghum for Control of Sugarcane Aphid – The good news is that the Section 18 was approved. The bad news is there were substantial restrictions imposed. The Section 18 label does not allow the use of Transform for a period beginning 3 days prior to bloom until seeds are set (click to see section 18 authorization letter). For Tennessee, this will primarily restrict the use of Transform to applications made near harvest. Fortunately, Sivanto Prime is an effective and fully labeled alternative.

Sivanto Prime in Sweet Sorghum for Control of Sugarcane Aphid – This Section 18 request was just submitted to the TDA. Sorghum molasses producers are few in numbers, but they are getting hammered by this aphid. There are currently no insecticides labeled in sweet sorghum. Considering the critical need and small acres involved, I’m optimistic this request will be approved (but no promises).