On October 4, NPC offered comments on EPA Dockett: EPA-HQ-OPP-2015-0401-0047 regarding the Agency’s proposed interim decision for difenoconazole.
In the comments, NPC wrote, “Potato production in the United States relies on the use of difenoconazole as part of integrated management plan on a variety of potato diseases including Helminthosporium solani (Silver Scurf) and Fusarium species (Dry Rot).
“As a part of this integrated plan, difenoconazole is used in multiple ways in the potato industry, as a seed treatment, as a foliar fungicide, and as a post-harvest fungicide. Because no other fungicide fits all three of these roles, it is irreplaceable and is extremely important to the potato industry as a part of combination fungicide products.”
In reviewing EPA’s proposed label changes, NPC writes that it supports the proposed changes related to spray drift management, fungicide resistance management, personal protection requirements, environmental hazard language, and seed treatment handling for difenoconazole.
The full letter is available here.