Generation of residue, efficacy and crop safety data for pesticide minor-use permit applications – Captan fungicide
28 August 2013Residue, Efficacy and Crop Safety Data for Pesticide Minor-use Permit Applications in Vegetable Crops 2011
9 September 2013Growers of minor vegetable crops are often left without viable methods of controlling pests in their crops. To assist these growers, the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) issue minor use permits allowing the off label use of registered agrichemicals on specified crops under strict conditions. In order for minor use permits to be issued, residue data must be generated to show the level of pesticide residue in the crop following the proposed use pattern. These minor use permits are issued for a limited time and in order for them to be renewed, it is sometimes necessary for additional residue data to be generated. The agricultural chemicals clethodim, abamectin and pirimicarb are important tools for vegetable growers to help them control pests in their crops. Clethodim is used to control various grass weeds, abamectin is used for the control of two spotted mites and pirimicarb is used to control aphids. These chemicals are registered in various products for use in many vegetable crops but due to the high cost of registering agrichemicals, are not registered in some minor crops. Horticulture Australia Limited (HAL) project number VG11029 was established to fund trials to generate residue data on clethodim in carrots; abamectin in chillies, spring onions, shallots and sweetcorn; pirimicarb in spring onions, celery and sweetcorn. The data generated will be used to support applications for permit renewal and new permit applications that will be made to the APVMA. In total, 19 field trials were conducted under this project spread between the Gippsland and Cranbourne region of Victoria, the Lockyer Valley, Moreton Bay and South Brisbane regions of Queensland and the Tweed Valley in New South Wales. This geographic distribution covered major growing regions with a variety of climatic conditions and differing crop production methods. The APVMA establishes Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) or Temporary Maximum Residue Limits (TMRLs) for all agrichemicals. MRLs are the highest amount of chemical residue that can be in a particular crop matrix without causing any harm to a consumer. MRLs are set for crop groups or individual crops . In all crop samples analysed from the 19 field trials, the residue levels were at or below the established MRLs or TMRLs. The data generated should therefore be suitable to support minor use permit applications and therefore allow the growers to continue to use clethodim, abamectin and pirimicarb in their production systems.