Pesticide registration is the process through which regulatory agencies – the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the United States – evaluate crop protection products to ensure that they will not have unreasonable adverse effects on humans, the environment and non-target species. This means in general that the producer of the product must submit data from rigorous tests done according to regulatory guidelines to the appropriate agency for review to substantiate the safety of the product. Registrants must also periodically renew registrations to ensure that they meet current scientific and regulatory standards.

EPA issued a Reregistration Eligibility Decision (RED) for mancozeb and the other EBDCs on December 28, 2005.  EPA concluded that risks from the use of mancozeb were below the levels of concern and met the strict risk criteria of FQPA.  EPA also concluded that mancozeb met the requirements for reregistration.  This is good news for U.S. growers and consumers alike.  The RED can be found at www.regulations.gov, EPA docket number OPP-2005-0176.

With the exception of the five crops, which were voluntarily withdrawn by the registrants, all of the uses on the current mancozeb labels were maintained.  Seasonal application rates were established for remaining turf uses.  Otherwise, the use patterns were not changed and future mancozeb labels will have the same directions for use as the current labels. The re-entry interval was maintained at 24 hours for all crops. 

New personal protective equipment requirements were established in the RED. Future labels will no longer require coveralls for any of the straight mancozeb formulations, but a dust mask respirator will be required for wettable powder uses and some other uses. A full description of the protective clothing requirements can be found in the RED. Other changes include addition of a 72 hour pre-harvest restriction for sod treatments, a maximum of 20 applications to greenhouse grown cut flowers and ornamentals.

The registrants are required to submit labels with changes directed by the RED eight months after receipt of a Data-Call-In Notice (DCI) for additional studies. The current estimate is that the label changes described will most likely be seen on commercial packaging in 2007 or 2008. Growers will be able to use existing stocks until their supplies are exhausted.

The manufacturers are fully committed to continued support of mancozeb. Therefore, the registrants will address the requirement of the DCI when it is received.