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Jan 19, 2017
Last week, the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Pesticide Programs finalized its “Policy to Mitigate the Acute Risk to Bees from Pesticide Products,” which is aimed at protecting bees from neonicotinoid exposure.
The preliminary risk assessments looked at three neonicotinoid pesticides: clothianidin, thiamethoxam and dinotefuran. The EPA found that "spray applications to a few crops, such as cucumbers, berries, and cotton may pose risks to bees that come in direct contact with residue." However, they concluded that most approved uses "do not pose significant risks."
For certain crops that use bees for pollination services when grown for seed, including soybeans, “the EPA will generally permit modification of the label restriction for crops that utilize commercial pollination services and have an indeterminate blooming period.”
Neonicotinoid pesticide application to soybeans and other crops in this category will be allowed during specified time windows or under certain temperature conditions. This includes from two hours before sunset until sunrise, or when the temperature is below 50°. Application is also allowed if state or local health agencies determine it to be in the interest of public or animal health.
More information as it relates to soybeans can be found in Section 3.3.2 here.
