Arvesta Corporation announced its Growers' Conference in Washington, DC, on May 18, met with great success in helping define issues relating to registration of Iodomethane (Methyl Iodide) and the future phase-out of methyl bromide.
The meeting was arranged to bring growers together with government officials to discuss grower needs for an alternative fumigant choice as methyl bromide is phased out. It was also an effort to focus attention on the need for prompt action by the EPA on the registration of Iodometehane.
About 30 people attended the conference, including growers, EPA, USDA,
Council on Environmental Quality, and congressional staff.
Michael Allan, fumigant product manager for Arvesta, said it was important to keep the lines of communicaitoan open betweern the groups and address the concerns that have surfaced.
Iodomethane, the first new chemistry to come along in many years for use by growers as a pre-plant soil fumigant, is currently being evaluated for registration by EPA. Both Aravesta and EPA are working together toward a decision on the Iodomethane registration which is expected late this year or early 2005.
Growers emphasized the need for use permits to allow the product trials on a larger scale, while still being able to market the crop. These would be helpful to growers as they start to look for viable alternatives to methyl bromide.
Iodomethane is a soil fumigant that offers broad spectrum control of soil-borne diseases, weed seeds and plant parasitic nematodes.