EPA Greenlights Dow’s Enlist Duo
15 October 2014 The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) registered Dow AgroSciences’ Enlist Duo herbicide for use with Enlist corn and soybeans on Wednesday, clearing the way for commercialization.
The pesticide is for use in controlling weeds in corn and soybeans genetically-engineered to tolerate 2,4-D and glyphosate. “The agency’s decision reflects a large body of science and an understanding of the risk of pesticides to human health and the environment,” EPA said in a statement.
The approved formulation contains the choline salt of 2,4-D which is less prone to drift than the other forms of 2,4-D. The agency has also put in place restrictions to avoid pesticide drift, including a 30-foot in-field “no spray” buffer zone around the application area, no pesticide application when the wind speed is over 15 miles per hour, and only ground applications are permitted. This action provides an additional tool for the agricultural community to manage resistant weeds, EPA said.
To ensure that weeds will not become resistant to 2,4-D and continue increased herbicide use, EPA said it is imposing a new, robust set of requirements on the registrant. These requirements include extensive surveying and reporting to EPA, grower education and remediation plans. The registration will expire in six years, allowing EPA to revisit the issue of resistance. In the future, the agency said it intends to apply this approach to weed resistance management for all existing and new herbicides used on herbicide-tolerant crops.
This assessment is the third time in recent years that EPA has evaluated the safety of 2,4-D and the safety finding is consistent with past assessments that EPA has performed for 2,4-D. EPA comprehensively reviewed 2,4-D in 2005, and once more in 2012 and now again in 2014 in response to the current application.
EPA is registering the pesticide in six states: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin. The agency is accepting comments until Nov. 14, 2014 (30 days) on whether to register Enlist Duo in 10 more states: Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Tennessee and North Dakota.
Dow said in a statement, “The news — a true victory for farmers who have been grappling with hard to control and resistant weeds for many years — comes as U.S. corn and soybean harvest is in full swing. Tens of millions of acres of American farmland are infested with glyphosate-resistant weeds, and the problem has grown worse every year. In fact, resistant weed infestation doubled between 2009 and 2013.”
With regulatory approvals now in place for Enlist corn and soybean traits and Enlist Duo herbicide, Dow said it will release its 2015 market intentions for Enlist in the coming weeks.
“Our company is uniquely positioned to answer the need for new, innovative weed control technology,” said Tim Hassinger, president, Dow AgroSciences. “With our leading biotech capability and strong chemistry heritage, we designed a breakthrough solution utilizing both traits and herbicides. The Enlist system is an extremely effective tool, and is tailored for the way farmers work today.”
The Enlist corn and soybean traits were deregulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture on Sept. 17.
The EPA’s final regulatory decision document is available in EPA docket EPA-HQ-OPP-2014-0195 at www.regulations.gov
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