News
Bayer proposes changes to mitigate neonic risk to bees
Bayer CropScience says it has something important to add to the EPA’s preliminary conclusion that a certain neonic insecticide is a risk to pollinators. Dave Fischer, Director of Bayer’s Pollinator Safety, tells Brownfield the EPA looked at 37 different use patterns for the chemical and only three had a risk to bees. Two are used in cotton, one in citrus, “For all three of those applications types that they identified a risk, Bayer has already proposed label changes that would mitigate the risk.”
Fischer tells Brownfield Ag News, Bayer has changed the timing of the application for citrus so there’s an interval before bloom. As for cotton, he says, “The soil applications are only an issue in very sandy soils which is a small subset of the overall use. So, there ARE ways to address these risks and we’re working with the agency to do that.”
Fischer says the important thing for growers to understand is that the EPA assessment does not mean these chemicals will be taken away for these crops. The EPA is assessing several other neonics for pollinator risks as well.
AUDIO: Interview with Dave Fischer
Good to see Bayer being proactive and not defensive in dealing with the bees issues.