ND Department of Agriculture Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE JUNE 27, 2008

PESTICIDE USERS REMINDED TO READ, FOLLOW LABEL INSTRUCTIONS

BISMARCK – Agriculture Commissioner Roger Johnson today reminded farmers and pesticide applicators to read and follow pesticide labels before and during all pesticide applications.

“The state of Kansas has embargoed thousands of acres of wheat this week due to apparent violations of the pre-harvest interval for the fungicide Quilt,” Johnson said. “Kansas officials issued the embargoes to ensure the pesticide residue levels in the quarantined wheat did not exceed acceptable limits.”

Kansas has since lifted some of the embargoed fields after test results indicated that pesticide levels were below set tolerances.

“Farmers and other pesticide users must understand both when they can apply a specific pesticide to a crop and when they must stop applying the pesticide – that’s the preharvest interval,” Johnson said.

Many fungicide labels have a preharvest interval (PHI) or other restrictions describing when it is safe to use the products. These restrictions may list the PHI in days or describe the crop growth stages at which a pesticide may be applied. The restrictions are typically found in the “Directions for Use” section on the label.

The North Dakota Department of Agriculture (NDDA) has not documented widespread misuse of Quilt or other cereal fungicides in North Dakota.

“While misuse of Quilt is likely not an issue in North Dakota, the Kansas incident is a good reminder why it is so important to always read and follow the pesticide label,” Johnson said. “The Kansas wheat was quarantined because some users of Quilt failed to comply with a label restriction that prohibited applications within 45 days of harvest.”

Johnson emphasized that both farmers and pesticide applicators are responsible for knowing and understanding the label requirements for use on pesticides. He said people can contact NDDA with questions on interpreting pesticide labeling.

“North Dakota agriculture has earned the reputation for producing and delivering some of the highest quality agricultural products in the world,” Johnson said. “We need to ensure that we are following the protocols necessary to maintain and enhance that reputation,”

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MEDIA: For more information, please call Ted Quanrud at (701) 328-2233 or tquanrud@nd.gov or Patrice Lahlum at (701) 239-7210 or plahlum@nd.gov.