New website for the Integrated Pest Management and Pesticide Safety Education Program is is now available at: http://www.ksre.ksu.edu/pesticides-IPM
Tuesday, 25 August 2009: Researchers at the University of Illinois, said the varroa mite, a parasite that infects the honey bee, is a carrier of picorna-like virues that damage ribosomes that produce proteins.
Monsanto, Dow AgroSciences Complete U.S. and Canadian Regulatory Authorizations for SmartStax Corn
July 20, 2009 -- SmartStax has received registration from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and regulatory authorization from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and remains on track for a 2010 commercial launch. SmartStax uniquely features a combination of insect control traits that significantly reduces the risk of resistance for both above- and below-ground pests. As a result, the decisions by the EPA and CFIA will allow reduction of the typical structured farm refuge from 20 percent to 5 percent for SmartStax in the U.S. Corn Belt and Canada and from 50 percent to 20 percent of the U.S. Cotton Belt.
Malathion; Product Cancellation Order
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). - (July 2, 2009)
SUMMARY: This notice announces EPA's order for the cancellations and amendments to terminate uses, voluntarily requested by the registrants and accepted by the Agency, of products containing the pesticide
malathion, pursuant to section 6(f)(1) of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), as amended. This cancellation order follows a May 20, 2009 Federal Register Notice of Receipt of Requests from the malathion registrants to voluntarily cancel or to amend to terminate uses of certain malathion product registrations. These are not the last malathion products registered for use in the United States. EPA hereby issues in this notice a cancellation order granting therequested cancellations and amendments to terminate uses. Any distribution, sale, or use of the malathion products subject to this cancellation order is permitted only in accordance with the terms of this order, including any existing stocks provisions.
DATES: The cancellations are effective July 15, 2009.
Provisions for Disposition of Existing Stocks: Registrants may sell or distribute existing stocks for 1 year from the effective date of cancellation.
Full cancellation order including products and uses affected is available at:
http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-PEST/2009/July/Day-15/p16641.htm
Do Trees Scream Silently During Droughts? Released: July 16, 2009
Like a dog whistle’s sound, trees’ distress signals are too high for humans to hear. For many species of bark beetle, however, trees’ ultrasonic noises are a sirens’ call to come and feast. “These distress signals are just one example of how plant and insect interactions can change during periods of drought – sometimes in rather curious ways,” said Raymond Cloyd, entomologist with Kansas State University Research and Extension. “Homeowners need to be aware of the possibilities, so they can recognize when they need to step in to protect their landscape.”
Revised Publication
2009 version of Wheat Variety Disease & Insect Ratings is now on the web at:
www.oznet.ksu.edu/library/plant2/mf991.pdf. Printed copies should be available in a few days. This document discusses the disease and insect resistance of common wheat varieties and should be a useful resource when selecting which varieties to plant this fall. The document is revised yearly, since disease and insect ratings change over time as new biotypes develop.
Carbofuran; Final Tolerance Revocations
EPA is revoking all tolerances for carbofuran. The Agency has determined that the risk from aggregate exposure from the use of carbofuran does not meet the safety standard of section 408(b)(2) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA). EPA is revoking all of the existing tolerances for residues of carbofuran. Currently, tolerances have been established on the following crops: Alfalfa, forage; alfalfa, hay; artichoke, globe; banana; barley, grain; barley, straw; beet, sugar roots; beet, sugar tops; coffee bean, green; corn, forage; corn, grain (including popcorn); corn, stover; corn, sweet, kernel plus cob; cotton, undelinted seed; cranberry; cucumber; grape; grape raisin; grape, raisin, waste; melon; milk; oat, grain; oat, straw; pepper; potato; pumpkin; rice, grain; rice, straw; sorghum, forage; sorghum, grain grain; sorghum, grain, stover; strawberry; soybean, forage; soybean, hay; squash; sugarcane, cane; sunflower, seed; wheat, grain; wheat, straw. This final rule is effective August 13, 2009. Written objections, requests for a hearing, or requests for a stay identified by the docket identification (ID) number EPA-HQ-OPP-2005-0162 must be received on or before July 14, 2009, and must be filed in accordance with the instructions provided in 40 CFR part 178. For more information refer to:
http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-PEST/2009/May/Day-15/p11396.htm
Butterfly fans who want to attract the flamboyant insects into a backyard setting or simply to conserve them in nature have rapidly been increasing in numbers for at least a decade. “That’s fit nicely with a growing trend toward using insecticides only when absolutely necessary. Bees and butterflies both are benefiting from that,” horticulturist Ward Upham said. “But, I suspect some people have been surprised, if not discouraged, by how complicated the whole subject of butterflies is.” Fortunately, several outstanding Web resources are available now to help butterfly fans find the localized information they need, Upham added. Finding and sharing the word about such resources is part of his job as Master Gardener program coordinator for Kansas State University Research and Extension. (click on the title of this article for more information).
Recent Radio Programs
(MP3 files available for your computer or iPod)
July 22, 2009 --MP3 -- K-State research entomologist J.P. Michaud advises sunflower producers to start watching fields now for sunflower head moths migrating in...with a rapid treatment response called for when those moths reach a certain threshold.
July 10, 2009 -- MP3 -- K-State crop entomologist Jeff Whitworth talks about the extensive assortment of insect pests which are threatening soybeans, alfalfa and grain sorghum crops right now, along with advice on treatment when necessary.
June 6, 2009 -- MP3 -- K-State grain scientist Bhadriraju Subramanyam looks at preparing on-farm grain bins for imcoming wheat this harvest, including the latest options for pre-harvest bin insecticides as well as insecticidal grain treatments on the wheat itself as it enters the bin.
June 3, 2009 -- MP3 -- As harvest time nears, K-State crop entomologist J.P. Michaud alerts wheat growers about the possible return of the wheat head armyworm, and what producers can do to lessen the economic losses from this pest's feeding on ripening wheat kernals.
May 29, 2009 -- MP3 --K-State crop entomologist Jeff Whitworth alerts soybean growers to early activity by the bean leaf beetle...which could be feeding on seedling soybeans right now, and could pose a definite threat to double-crop soybeans after wheat.
Something Bugging You? K-State Lab Identifies Insects
MANHATTAN, Kan. – The Insect Diagnostic Lab, is part of the university’s Department of Entomology. “The goal of the lab, is to provide a prompt, yet accurate diagnosis of insects and insect-related problems. Depending on the individual specimen, we can make an identification of an insect’s order, family, genus or species level.” More about K-State’s Insect Diagnostic Lab, including how to submit a sample through a county or district Extension office, is available on the Web at http://www.entomology.ksu.edu/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=375