News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Middle Tennessee Agriculture will continue to have insecticide options despite the ordering of the EPA to remove chlorpyrifos from sale within 60 days.
Putnam County UT Extension Agent Wayne Keys said most products that contain chlorpyrifos are no longer used without a license.
“A product we use quite a bit called Lorsban, that we use for insect control in many of our fruit crops and vegetable crops and agriculture,” Key said. “It is only available, as well as Dursban, to professionals with a restricted use pesticide commercial or private applicator’s license.”
Chlorpyrifos is a type of organophosphate used primarily as an insecticide on fruits and vegetables.
Even though the EPA may take chlorpyrifos off the market, Middle Tennessee farmers have plenty of other options.
“Oh, there is a huge plethora of other products that are available for farmers, for ag commodities, for homeowners,” Key said. “They will just have a different organophosphate product a different in the container. It will not contain chlorpyrifos.”
Studies have shown that chlorpyrifos residue can cause brain deficiencies in exposed babies.
Key said safety should remain a concern when using strong pesticides.
“The biggest thing with any type of product out there is that when we use a product irresponsibly or incorrectly or not according to label use, that is when we can cause problems with the environment, with ourselves, with aquatic wildlife and so forth,” Key said. “So if taking this off the market will ensure that we don’t have further damage to our environment that way. Again there are other products out there for us to use.”
