Dec 01, 2014
ARLINGTON, VA -- At the request of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the USA Rice Federation recently submitted information to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Pollinator Health Task Force on the value of a class of seed treatments used on rice seeds. The seed treatment in question is neonicotinoids, a class of insecticides introduced two decades ago and adopted by farmers around the world because of their effectiveness in controlling harmful and destructive crop pests.
There is concern that neonicotinoids, or neonics as they are usually called, may play a role in recent pollinator declines. While rice is not pollinated by bees, there is mounting pressure to ban the entire class of neonics due to uncertainties regarding their potential environmental impact on pollinators.
The U.S. rice industry relies heavily on the neonicotinoid seed treatments to combat insect pests, and with the loss of older crop protection products, cannot afford the loss of three more products.
Recent EPA analysis concluded that there is little or no increase in soybean yields using most neonicotinoid seed treatments when compared to using no pest control at all. This analysis is an important part of the science EPA will use in their assessment of the risks and benefits under registration review for the neonicotinoid pesticides.
A year ago, Syngenta, Bayer CropScience, and Valent jointly commissioned an independent study on the socio-economic benefits of neonicotinoid insecticides in North America. This research has produced a comprehensive series of 15 reports demonstrating the value of neonicotinoids.
The study looked at U.S. and Canadian agriculture as well as turf and ornamental sectors, and all uses of neonicotinoids: seed treatment, foliar, and soil applications. The first nine reports have been released to the media. They are available on a new website called GrowingMatters.org, along with news releases, fact sheets, videos, and an infographic.
Contact: Steve Hensley (703) 236-1445