August 19, 2018—After a June 2018 decision to restrict the use of Mancozeb on a wide variety of food and feed crops, including tomatoes, the Pest Management Regulatory Agency will conduct a new Mancozeb re-evaluation for stakeholders’ consultation, says Eugenia Banks, a potato specialist with the Ontario Potato Board.
The June decision also restricts Mancozeb use on ornamentals, oilseed, and fibre crops, as well as in forests and woodlots.
Mancozeb is a broad-spectrum contact fungicide with multi-site modes of action. The June re-evaluation cancelled the use of the fungicide on all crops except potatoes, due to unacceptable risks to human health. At that time, the PMRA found the continued registration of products containing Mancozeb acceptable for foliar application to potatoes.
According to Banks, growers from affected commodities provided the PMRA with many reasons to reconsider the cancellations proposed for Mancozeb.
