Every year, the Fruit and Vegetable Growers of Canada (FVGC) provides a summary in its annual report on upcoming re-evaluation and special review decisions for crop protection products that are of value to the fruit and vegetable sector.
Since circulating FVGC’s report in March, the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) has published its 2024 /2025 workplan (Re-evaluation Note REV2024-01).
Below are relevant updates that are expected to impact upcoming regulatory decisions from July 2024 to April 2025.
- Delays to final or proposed decision: Notable delays include final decisions for Chlorothalonil (delayed until March 2025) and Atrazine (delayed until July-September of 2025). The proposed decision for Dicamba is now targeted for January 2025.
- Delay to cumulative health assessment for organophosphates: The PMRA has delayed publication of its project plan for assessing cumulative health risks of organophosphates until October 2024. This document is expected to provide an anticipated re-evaluation timeline and scope for the PMRA’s assessment.
- Proportional effort to apply to re-evaluations initiated from April 2024 onwards: The PMRA will be consulting on its proportional effort policy this summer and the outcome of this consultation will be used by the PMRA to prioritize and streamline re-evaluations that are expected to be initiated in the upcoming year.
In total, the PMRA is intending to publish proposed and final decisions for 15 active ingredients in the 2024/25 fiscal year. Details pertaining to a specific active can be viewed by consulting the tables below.
Awaiting a Final Decision | ||||||
Active Ingredient | Group | Trade Name | Product Type | Consultation Type | Horticultural Food Uses | Status Update |
Abamectin | Group 6 | AVID, AGRI-MEK | Insecticide / Miticide | Cyclical Review | GH tomatoes, GH peppers, GH cucumbers, apples, pears, caneberries (Subgroup 13-07A), strawberries, celery, potatoes, grapes, bulb onions (Subgroup 3-07A), green onion (Subgroup 3-07B) | Proposed acceptable for continued use with mitigation measures (PRVD2023-01). Final decision decision targeted for 2025 (April - June). |
Atrazine | Group 5 | AATREX LIQUID 480 | Herbicide | Special Review | Sweet corn | Proposed to cancel products containing atrazine in granular fertilizers. All other products are acceptable for continued use with mitigation measures (PSRD2023-01). Final decision delayed until 2025 (July-September) |
Azoxystrobin | Group 11 | QUADRIS, FLINT, QUILT, DYNASTY, AZOSHY, AZOXYSTAR, ZOXY, AZteroid, VIKING, FBN AZOXY, ADVANTAGE AZOXY | Fungicide | Cyclical Review | Succulent shelled pea and bean, potatoes, field tomatoes, sweet corn, ginseng, asparagus, spinach, carrots, daikon, rutabaga, turnip, garden beet, radish, ground cherries, cabbage, cranberries, celery, grapes, pome fruits group, potatoes, strawberries, blueberries, sweet potatoes, cucurbit vegetables, GH and outdoor ornamentals Seed treatment for various crops. |
Proposed acceptable for continued use with mitigation measures (PRVD2023-02) Final decision is scheduled for 2026 (July - September) |
Chlorothalonil | Group M5 | BRAVO, ECHO | Special Review | Carrot, celery, parsnip, potato, onions (dry bulb & green bunching), cole crops (broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage), tomatoes (processing), asparagus, highbush blueberries, cherry (sweet & sour), sweet corn, peach, nectarine, cranberry, outdoor ornamentals, cucurbit vegetables, | Proposed to cancel all uses except on GH ornamentals due to health and environmental risks (PSRD2022-01). Final decision delayed until March 2025. |
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Flufenacet | Group 15 | DEFINE DF, AXIOM DF, FLUFENACET 60% WATER-DISPERSIBLE GRANULAR HERBICIDE | Herbicide | Cyclical Review | Corn | Proposed to cancel all products and uses (PRVD2021-01). Final decision targeted for August 2024. |
Fosetyl aluminum | Group PO7 | ALIETTE | Fungicide | Special Review | Apples, ginseng, red/black raspberries, blackberries, cranberry, grapes, strawberries, lettuce, greenhouse lettuce in BC, spinach, onions, brassica head and stem vegetables (crop group 5-13) and brassica leafy vegetables (crop group 4-13b), greenhouse-grown brassica head and stem vegetable transplants (crop group 5-13), greenhouse-grown brassica leafy green transplants (crop subgroup 4-13b), kohlrabi, rutabaga, Belgian endive, highbush blueberries, | Proposed acceptable for continued use with mitigation measures (PSRD2023-02) Final decision is targeted for August 2024. |
Tebuconazole | Group 3 | FOLICUR | Fungicide | Cyclical Review | Asparagus | Proposed acceptable for continued use with mitigation measures (PRVD2021-08). Final decision delayed until September 2024 |
Proposed Decision |
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Active Ingredient | Group | Trade Name | Product Type | Consultation Type | Horticultural Food Uses | Status Update |
Famoxadone | Group 11 | TANOS | Fungicide | Cyclical Review | Potatoes, field tomatoes, caneberries | Proposed decision delayed until February 2025 |
Potassium bicarbonate | N/A | MILSTOP, SIROCCO | Fungicide | Cyclical Review | Vegetable crops in greenhouses, field cucurbits (cucumbers, melons, pumpkins, squash), stone fruits (peach, nectarine, apricot, plum, prune), greenhouse and field strawberries, greenhouse and field herbs and spices, mint, grapes (conventional and organic), artichokes, greenhouse lettuce and field peppers, apples | Proposed decision delayed until February 2025 |
Pydiflumetofen | Group 7 | MIRAVIS, POSTERITY, A19649 | Fungicide | Special Review | Potato, root and tuber vegetables (crop subgroup 1a), tuberous and corm vegetables, leaves of root and tuber vegetables, bulb brassica leafy vegetables, brassica head and stem vegetables, fruiting vegetables, cucurbit vegetables, pome fruits, blueberries (lowbush) - sprouting year, peaches (crop subgroup 12-09b), cherries (crop subgroup 12-09a, stone fruits (crop group 12-09), greenhouse cucumbers, greenhouse peppers and greenhouse lettuce, sweet corn | Proposed decision targeted for November 2024. |
Streptomyces lydicus strain WYEC108 | N/A | ACTINOVATE SP ACTINOVATE AG |
Fungicide | Cyclical Review | field and greenhouse strawberry, field and greenhouse pepper, field and greenhouse cucurbit vegetables (Crop Group 9), field and greenhouse tomato, grape, greenhouse cucumbers, greenhouse lettuce, greenhouse fruiting vegetables, high and lowbush blueberry, strawberry | Proposed decision targeted for December 2024. |
Sulphur | Group M | KUMULUS, MICROWETTABLE, MICROSCOPIC WETTABLE SULPHUR, | Fungicide | Cyclical Review | Apple, pear, peach, plum, sweet cherry, sour cherry, grapes, greenhouse tomato and pepper, currents, gooseberry, raspberry, blackberry, rutabaga, saskatoon berry, greenhouse eggplant, greenhouse strawberry, | Proposed decision targeted for March 2025. |
Fatty Acid Cluster | N/A | AXXE | Herbicide | Cyclical Review | Food crops, greenhouses | Proposed decision delayed until January 2025. |
Dicamba | Group 4 | BANVEL | Herbicides | Special Review | Blueberries (lowbush) | Proposed decision delayed until January 2025. |
Nonylphenoxy polyethoxy ethanol | N/A | AGRAL 90, AG-SURF | Surfactant | Cyclical Review | Non-ionic spreading agent for use with pesticides including those applied to fruit and vegetables | Proposed decision delayed until March 2025. |
Christina Turi is manager, plant health and crop protection, Fruit & Vegetable Growers of Canada.