EPA Considers Allowing Fungicide Field Tests

The Environmental Protection Agency is considering a request from Bayer CropScience to authorize field testing of the fungicide fluoxastrobin as a seed treatment, according to a notice scheduled for publication Dec. 18. Bayer requested an experimental use permit allowing a two-year field test to determine the efficacy of using a fluoxastrobin seed treatment on corn to prevent seedling infections of soil-borne plant pathogenic fungi and to suppress late season stalk rot. Section 5 of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act gives the EPA the authority to allow pesticide manufacturers to field test unregistered pesticide uses under development. The permit ...