The intent of this network is to inform interested parties of new pesticide uses, impending pesticide use cancellations, tolerance revocations, and other items of agricultural interest. Questions and comments may be directed to your State Liaison Representative (on our web page) for the Pesticide Impact Assessment Program (PIAP) or Kent Smith at 202-720-3186, fax 202-720-3191, email ksmith@ars.usda.gov, or consult our homepage for OPMP and PIAP at http://ipmwww.ncsu.edu/usdanapiap/.

Bt CORN & EUROPEAN CORN BORER: REFUGES VITAL!

A group of scientists representing 20 Land Grant Universities have recommended that refuges continue to be utilized to delay European corn borer from becoming resistant to Bt corn. These refuges should prevent Bt protein exposure to 20-30% of the European corn borer larval population which can be achieved by planting 20-30% of the corn on a farm to unsprayed non-Bt corn. This area should increase to 40% if the refuge is sprayed with insecticides. Such a strategy should prolong the durability of Bt corn technology which provides more effective and consistent control of European corn borer than insecticides, with less cost and fewer logistical, health, or environmental concerns. The recommendations were made by the North Central Regional Research Project (NC-205), a regional research committee supported by Land Grant Universities, USDA-CSREES and ARS.

This recommendation was published in October of 1998 and can be viewed on the web at ; click on NCR-602 Supplement.pdf. This is a supplement to an earlier recommendation made in 1997, which can be viewed at the same site.

For additional information contact:

Dr. E.E. Ortman
Purdue University
Phone 765-494-8366
Fax 765-494-0808
Email eeo@aes.purdue.edu

Source:

Regional Research Committee, NC 205. 1998. Supplement to: Bt Corn & European Corn Borer: Long-Term Success Through Resistance Management, NCR-602, 10 pp.

FIRST CROP PROFILES AVAILABLE ON THE WEB

The first crop profiles are now available on the web. Crop profiles are summaries of pest management methods utilized on an individual crop usually within a state. They provide information on current pest problems, pest management methods used, crop production data, and key references and contacts. Coordinated by the Pesticide Impact Assessment Program (PIAP) and the USDA Office of Pest Management Policy, crop profiles are being developed by a wide variety of interested individuals from state extension specialists to agricultural producer groups. The final crop profiles are reviewed by all interested parties and monitored by representatives of PIAP.

Crop profiles have a variety of uses. Principally, they provide a readily available and concise source of accurate and up-to-date information to EPA and USDA on pest management methods, use, and needs. They also serve as a readily available source of information about pest management on a given crop in a given state for use by state officials, growers, and the general public. As a listing of the critical needs in pest management, they will help to identify research priorities for future research funding.

You can access crop profiles on the web by contacting the OPMP/PIAP homepage at <http://ipmwww.ncsu.edu/usdanapiap/>, click on CROP PROFILES, then Completed Crop Profiles, and then select the desired crop profile.

For additional information contact:

Mr. Wilfred Burr
USDA Office of Pest Management Policy
Phone 202-720-8647
Fax 202-720-3191
E-mail wburr@ars.usda.gov

MONTE CARLO ANALYSES

EPA, USDA-OPMP, and USDA-ARS have recently agreed to conduct a detailed analysis of the Monte Carlo risk assessment models to determine the scientific validity of basing risk assessments on the 99.9% model output level. In addition to examination of the sensitivity and errors at various output levels, the team will test the response of the model to statistically validated residue and consumption data.

PESTICIDE USE DATA

Current EPA risk assessments for the organophosphates rely heavily on the percent of crop treated. Because there are numerous sources of data, EPA, USDA-OPMP, and USDA-NASS(National Agricultural Statistics Service) have recently agreed to develop standard procedures for estimating percent crop treated. EPA has agreed to make the estimates more transparent in all risk assessments.

REVIEW OF ALUMINUM PHOSPHIDE AND MAGNESIUM PHOSPHIDE (PHOSPHINE GAS)

The USDA Office of Pest Management Policy had convened a Phosphine Task Force to work with EPA to develop risk mitigation strategies. This work has begun and will continue as long as it is necessary. The task force is reviewing and evaluating EPA proposals to reduce worker and bystander exposure to phosphine in and around fumigation sites. We will notify you when the Reregistration Eligibility Document (RED) is published and the official comment period begins on the EPA proposed mitigation strategies.

The USDA Phosphine Task Force includes: Dr. Dennis W. Keever, North Carolina State University; Dr. Steve L. Brown, University of Georgia; Dr. Franklin H. Arthur, USDA Agricultural Research Service, Manhattan, Kansas; Dr. Jim Criswell, Oklahoma State University; Dr. Linda Mason, Purdue University; and Dr. Larry Zettler, USDA Agricultural Research Service, Fresno, California.

For additional information contact:

Mr. Ted Rogers
USDA Office of Pest Management Policy
Phone 202-720-3846
Fax 202-720-3191
E-mail trogers@ars.usda.gov

SCIENCE POLICY PAPERS CONCERNING FQPA

EPA is soliciting comments on three draft science policy papers that relate to science policy area #3: Exposure Assessment - Interpreting "No Residues Detected." A summary of each paper, comments on the general science policy issue concerned, and recommended issues for comment are included in a 12/4/98 Federal Register notice cited below. The nine science policy issues were outlined in an earlier Federal Register notice on 10/29/98 and listed here in the RNN on 12/3/98.

The three draft science policy papers and their docket numbers are: 1) "Proposed threshold of regulation policy when a food use does not require a tolerance" OPP-00569, 2) "Assigning values to nondetected/nonquantified pesticide residues in human health dietary exposure assessments" OPP-00570, and 3) "A statistical method for incorporating nondetected pesticide residues into human health dietary exposure assessments" OPP-00571.

These papers are available for review on the web and by fax. For web viewing or printing, access <http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/trac/>, under December 4, 1998, click on the science policy papers mentioned above. For fax copies, use a faxphone to call 202-401-0527 and select item 6024 for the paper on "Proposed threshold...", item 6025 for the paper on "Assigning values...", and item 6026 for the paper on "A statistical...."

Written comments on these papers should be submitted by 2/4/99 by email or mail to the Public Information Branch of EPA. Be sure to mention the docket number mentioned with the papers above.

Submit written comments to:

Public Information and Records Integrity Branch
Information Resources and Services Division (7502C)
EPA, Office of Pesticide Programs
401 M Street, SW
Washington, DC 20460
opp-docket@epa.gov

For questions on the papers titled "Assigning values..." and "A statistical..." contact:

Ms. Kathleen Martin
EPA, Health Effects Division
Phone 703-308-2857
Fax 703-305-5147
martin.kathleen@epa.gov

For questions on the paper titled "Proposed threshold..." contact:

Ms. Vivian Prunier
EPA, Field and External Affairs Division
Phone 703-308-9341
Fax 703-305-5884
prunier.vivian@epa.gov

Source: Federal Register 63:67063 12/4/98

The Reregistration Notification Network is a cooperative effort of OPMP-PIAP, Interregional Project No. 4 (IR-4), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the American Crop Protection Association (ACPA).
Last Modified December 16, 1998