This article appeared in the Winter 2014 issue of Pulse Crop News.

Ron Pidskalny, Minor Use Procurement Officer, PPMUC

Many lower acreage crops in Canada, such as dry beans, chickpeas, lentils, faba beans and field peas, have a limited number of registered pest control products. While access to effective and affordable pesticides is required for sustainable production, many chemical companies find full Canadian registrations costly given the smaller size of some crop markets. Nevertheless, producers must use registered pesticides in Canada, many on-farm food safety programs require farm operators to keep records of all crop inputs and the use of unregistered pesticides can render crops unsaleable, both domestically and internationally.

The Prairie Pesticide Minor Use Consortium (PPMUC) facilitates, coordinates, and procures pest management solutions for its grower organization members – which includes the Alberta Pulse Growers (APG). PPMUC represents APG’s interests in three areas:

• User Requested Minor Use Label Expansion (URMULE) for products registered in Canada on other crops
• User Requested Minor Use Registration (URMUR) for products not registered in Canada
• Emergency registration requests

PPMUC has a Minor Use Procurement Officer  (MUPO) who is responsible for:

• Gathering the research data needed for minor use submissions
• Possibly helping source funding for efficacy and crop tolerance research
• Completing the registration packages for submission to the PMRA
• Tracking submissions through the registration process
• Working with other government agencies to access emergency use pesticide registrations
• Maintaining a prioritized list of members’ pest problems and potential pesticide solutions

There is a five-step process to starting the registration process for a minor use pesticide:

1. APG identifies a pest problem and the need for a specific pesticide to the MUPO
2. The pesticide registrant provides letter of support and/or a draft supplemental label for this new use
3. APG provides a letter of support for the registration of the pesticide according to its proposed use pattern
4. The MUPO searches for related efficacy, crop safety, and residue data (if required). They will then arrange for the generation of efficacy and crop tolerance research
5. The MUPO prepares a submission package for review by the PMRA

PPMUC membership benefits for APG include:

• Access to expertise for preparing submissions for minor uses and for emergency registrations
• A larger selection of registered pest control products for its producer members
• The capacity to search for and compile the research data required to support label expansions
• Access to an individual with the expertise required to arrange for and coordinate research on new minor uses
• The ability to work cooperatively with the provincial minor use coordinator
• Regular contact with PMRA through the MUPO

In pulse crops, the PMRA supported these product uses and label approval is pending:

• Nova 40W (myclobutanil) for the control of rust (Uromyces appendiculatus syn. U. phaseoli) on dry beans
• Senator (thiophanate-methyl) + Apron Maxx (fludioxonil/metalaxyl-M) for the control of seed-borne anthracnose in dry beans
• Lannate Toss-N-Go (methomyl) for the control of brown marmorated stink bug in lentils

The following projects are in the preliminary data generation and reporting phase:

• Cyazapyr FS and Cyazapyr 10OD (cyantraniliprole) for the control of cutworms in dry beans and chickpeas, and for the control of pea leaf weevil in field peas
• Heat WG (sulflufenacil) as a desiccant in beans
• Heat + Roundup Weather Max with Transorb 2 Technology (glyphosate) in chickpeas

PPMUC has just initiated a project with Ranncona Apex (ipconazole), for the control of root rots and smuts in dry beans, chickpeas, lentils, faba beans, and field peas. A Vitaflo 280 (carbathiin/thiram) project for the control of seed rot and seedling blight in faba beans and lupins is on hold pending a re-evaluation of one of the ingredients (thiram).

Other PPMUC pulse projects currently under consideration include:

• Control of white mold (Sclerotinia) in dry bean
• Control of later season onset of Fusarium in field peas
• The addition of chocolate spot to the Lance (boscalid) label for use in faba beans
• A reduction in the pre-harvest interval for Bravo 500 (chlorothalonil), Headline (pyraclostrobin), Lance and Quadris (azoxystrobin) for the control of late season onset Ascochyta blight in field peas
• Control of bertha armyworm in faba bean

The Alberta Pulse Growers are working with PPMUC and others to ensure that farmers have access to registered products for use on their pulse crops. To continue to ensure market opportunities, it is important for producers to select registered products and read labels for proper product application, rates and timing.