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Canadian farmers expect to plant more barley, corn

According to the June Field Crop Survey conducted by Statistics Canada, Canadian farmers expect to plant more barley, corn for grain, dry peas, lentils and oats in 2019, but fewer acres of wheat, canola and soybeans. At the time of the survey,…

US EPA to revamp pesticide evaluations

The US Environmental Protection Agency is taking another stab at revising its process for assessing the risks of pesticides to endangered species. The move comes after manufacturers of three organophosphate insecticides urged the agency to abandon…

California bans chlorpyrifos after citing negative health effects

BY IAN HENDERSON California has moved to ban the widely used pesticide chlorpyrifos, linking its use to the development of neurological problems in infants and children. Chlorpyrifos is used on a number of produce nationwide, including almonds,…

USDA advancing biotech regulation changes

The Trump administration is trying to do what the George W. Bush and Obama administrations couldn't: Update and streamline USDA's 32-year-old process for genetically engineered crops. The latest proposal from USDA - and the third since 2008…

US Plant Variety Protection Act now covers asexually reproduced plants

The 2018 Farm Bill included changes to the Plant Variety Protection Act (PVPA) that extends the availability of protection to asexually reproduced plants. Previously, asexually reproduced plants could not receive protection under the PVPA. Rather,…

US EPA makes it easier to find information on pesticide registration review actions

To increase transparency and ensure information is easily accessible, EPA has created a new web-based table of the most recent pesticide registration review actions. Making this information available in one place on our website will save stakeholders…

US EPA issues draft revised method for ESA pesticide assessments

On May 16, 2019, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it was seeking comment on its Draft Revised Method for National Level Endangered Species Risk Assessment Process for Biological Evaluations of Pesticides (Draft Revised…

US EPA clarified toxicology data requirements for antimicrobial pesticides used on food contact surfaces

The U.S. EPA issued a final rule clarifying data requirements for antimicrobial pesticides in 40 CFR Part 158 Subpart W (158W), making the registration process for these pesticides more efficient and transparent. View the final rule at www.regulations.gov,…

New York bans chlorpyrifos

Legislators recently approved Senate bill S5343 and Assembly bill A2477B, which ban chlorpyrifos in New York. This is a major victory for children’s health and puts New York on track to become by 2021 the first state in the country to end…