Although the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved the use of sulfoxaflor on a national level, Transform registration in California is going to require an additional regulatory process. The Section 18 emergency exemption to use Transform for lygus control will remain in effect for cotton growers while the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) considers full registration for the product.
“Being in California and having the Department of Pesticide Regulation be our governing agency over how pesticides are used and which ones are registered, it’s going to take a little bit more work,” said Director of Regulatory Affairs for the California Cotton Ginners and Growers Association (CCGGA), Jodi Devaurs. “We have additional reviews and analysis that have to be done, and so California, as it stands right now, is the only state that does not have a full Section 3 registration for this product.”
The timeline for Transform registration in California could be a lengthy process depending on what kind of priority DPR places on the issue. While DPR is known to be exceptionally thorough in the review process, Devaurs noted that the EPA’s scientific analysis ultimately resulting in full registration nationwide should carry substantial weight in DPR’s review of the product.
“It’s definitely going to be a large piece of the conversation that this product is registered at a national level and that all of our other states are able to use this product to its full capacity,” said Devaurs. “We definitely don’t want to put California or California cotton growers at a competitive disadvantage by not having full access to this product.”
There is a potential for the EPA’s Section 3 registration for sulfoxaflor to have an impact on the future emergency exemptions that may be needed for Transform in California. CCGGA has already been closely involved in working with DPR in getting a full registration for Transform in California and will continue their efforts moving forward. Devaurs noted there may be other avenues available for temporary use of the product in the future, but the hope is that DPR will follow EPA’s example with full registration.
“I would say this is a great step in the right direction, and an excellent stepping stone for the state of California to start really further evaluating and working on making it available to producers in California as a full registration,” Devaurs noted. “But we still have the work ahead of us.”
Listen to Devaurs’ interview below.
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