In case you haven’t heard the news, I wanted to give everyone a quick update on the fact that as of November 2, 2023, chlorpyrifos use on food crops is no longer banned. The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the EPA’s decision to revoke tolerances of chlorpyrifos on food crops. The official ruling can be found here.
This new decision means that we are free to use chlorpyrifos again. One key problem that still exists is that the many of the main manufacturers stoped making chlorpyrifos products. However, if you are able to find product or have any backstock, you are now legally able to use it on your bearing land. Note, that you still need to follow the label.
I know that most of you did not commonly use chlorpyrifos in the past, so this new decision likely won’t impact you. However, chlorpyrifos was one of the only products registered for grape root borer management, so even if it is just a temporary return, having another option for grape root borer management is welcomed, especially as we continue to work on identifying alternative management options.
As additional news comes out, I’ll make sure to update it here.
