By Scout Nelson
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) has issued conditional registration for chlorpyrifos pesticide products, valid for the 2024 growing season. This decision follows a November 2023 ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, which vacated the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) revocation of food and feed tolerances for chlorpyrifos. The court ordered the EPA to reconsider the use of the pesticide.
MDA Commissioner Thom Petersen signed the conditional registration, which is set to expire on December 31, 2024. The Minnesota Soybean Growers Association (MSGA) expressed gratitude to Commissioner Petersen for swiftly addressing the issue, allowing farmers to use chlorpyrifos during the upcoming growing season.
MSGA President Bob Worth emphasized the importance of using the pesticide safely to prevent potential future restrictions. Product manufacturers are now required to include MDA's water quality best management practices (BMPs) for chlorpyrifos with each sale of the insecticide. Farmers are urged to follow the product label instructions meticulously.
Josh Stamper, MDA's division director of the Pesticide and Fertilizer Management Division, stated that the department will continue to evaluate the use of chlorpyrifos in Minnesota as the EPA determines final steps on federal registration of the pesticide.
In February 2022, MSGA, along with the American Soybean Association and other agriculture groups, filed a lawsuit against the EPA to restore farmers' ability to use chlorpyrifos for crop protection. The groups argued that EPA records indicated at least 11 high-benefit, low-risk agricultural uses of chlorpyrifos that could be maintained safely, according to agency career scientists.
Photo Credit: minnesota-department-of-agriculture
Categories: Minnesota, Crops, Soybeans