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Presented in partnership with Syngenta
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Formulation, formulation, formulation
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In the past few years, the importance of pesticide formulations has been brought to the attention of superintendents. The formulation of turf care products first came to the forefront when patents expired for some staples in the superintendent’s arsenal, allowing companies that did not develop the original products to make generic versions and sell them at lower prices. These generic products have the same active ingredients as the original products, but the inert ingredients and the formulation are not identical to the original.
In 2007 formulations are in the news again.
VOCs (volatile organic compounds), common ingredients in pesticides (including herbicides, fungicides and insecticides), can be a source of ground-level or tropospheric ozone, which can be harmful to people and plants and, by extension, the entire ecosystem.
The effect of VOCs on air quality has become a problem for California, which is the nation’s No. 1 agricultural producer and, therefore, a major consumer of pesticides. Recently, VOC emissions have increased in areas where they had been declining, and these areas are not in compliance with federal or state standards for ambient air quality. In May 2007, the state’s department of pesticide regulation drafted a new plan requiring even lower VOC emissions from agricultural and commercial structural pesticides. Many of the same pesticides used in golf course management are also used in agriculture.
The original formulations of many liquid pesticides had high levels of chemical solvents that contain VOCs. Newer formulations have reduced VOC emissions to less than 20 percent, but California will soon have stricter regulations.
According to a draft of a plan from the California Department of Pesticide Regulation, the department intends to have new standards for the formulation of pesticides that are liquid emulsifiable concentrates (EC formulations). These regulations will be in place by 2014 and may allow the director of the department to cancel registration or refuse to register products that do not comply with the new standards.
To keep pace with regulations governing the formulation of liquid pesticides, Dow AgroSciences has developed a new formulation system, EcoZome technology, which allows pesticides to be formulated with very low levels or without any of the solvents that contain VOCs.
According to Dow, the new formulation system consists of very small droplets (150-200 nanometers) of active ingredient dispersed in water and stabilized by a lamellar liquid crystal coating. The company is using this technology to produce water-based formulations of pesticides that were originally formulated as emulsifiable concentrates. The new formulation will produce pesticides that have lower VOC content and less odor.
Because of their lower VOC content, the reformulated pesticides may also have new hazard classifications (hazard classifications include slightly, moderately, highly or extremely hazardous) on their labels. Dow also says that the technology produces formulations that have better dispersion and stability properties than EW (emulsion in water) and ME (microemulsion concentrate) formulations and equal or better efficacy than EC (emulsifiable concentrate) formulations.
The first product made with this new technology will be available in 2008. Dow is also working to make this technology available to other pesticide manufacturers.
Turfgrass on your course suffering from frostbite or heat exhaustion? GCSAA is offering a 90-minute webcast to provide an overview of the physiology behind freezing and heat stresses in turfgrasses and the damage each can cause. “Rescue 911 for Turfgrass Frostbite & Heat Exhaustion,” presented by Jack Fry, Ph.D., will provide a detailed description of how cultural practices can be manipulated to improve stress resistance. Learn more about this webcast in the education section of www.gcsaa.org or call GCSAA at 800-472-7878. Dow AgroSciences has notified the EPA of its intent to cancel certain uses and registrations for chlorpyrifos in turf on golf courses, including labels for several Dursban products. Existing stocks of these products in the company’s warehouses may be sold until inventory is depleted, or for 12 months, whichever comes first. Inventory already in the hands of distributors, retailers and end users may be sold and used as labeled until stocks are depleted. The company will maintain current state registrations through 2009. Dow AgroSciences planned to submit amended labels for Dursban 4E-N and Dursban 50W in WSP, while other labels will be cancelled. |
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