Sulfoxaflor

Sulfoxaflor is a neonicotinoid pesticide that is made by Dow Agrosciences and sold under the trade names Closer and Transform. Neonicotinoids are deadly to honeybees and thought to play a major role in the decline of honeybee populations.

Registration in the United States

On December 22 2010, the EPA posted a notice to the public register that it received an application for registration (i.e. legalization) of sulfoxaflor from Dow AgroSciences. At that time, it allowed for public comments for 30 days. The registrations would be as follows:

• Sulfoxaflor Technical. Active ingredient: Insecticide and sulfoxaflor at 97.9%. Proposed classification/Use: Food and nonfood uses on the following: Barley, Brassica (cole) leafy vegetables, bulb vegetables, canola (rapeseed), citrus, cotton, cucurbit vegetables, fruiting vegetables, leafy vegetables (except Brassica), leaves of root and tuber vegetables, low growing berry, okra, ornamentals (herbaceous and woody), pistachio, pome fruits, root and tuber vegetables, small fruit vine climbing (except fuzzy kiwifruit), soybean, stone fruits, succulent, edible podded, and dry beans, tree nuts, triticale, turfgrass, watercress and wheat.
• Transform WG. Active ingredient: Insecticide and sulfoxaflor at 50%. Proposed classification/Use: Food and nonfood uses on the following: Barley, Brassica (cole) leafy vegetables, bulb vegetables, canola (rapeseed), citrus, cotton, cucurbit vegetables, fruiting vegetables, leafy vegetables (except Brassica), leaves of root and tuber vegetables, low growing berry, okra, ornamentals (herbaceous and woody), pistachio, pome fruits, root and tuber vegetables, small fruit vine climbing (except fuzzy kiwifruit), soybean, stone fruits, succulent, edible podded, and dry beans, tree nuts, triticale, turfgrass, watercress and wheat.
• GF-2032 SC. Active ingredient: Insecticide and sulfoxaflor at 21.8%. Proposed classification/Use: Food and nonfood uses on the following: Barley, Brassica (cole) leafy vegetables, bulb vegetables, canola (rapeseed), citrus, cotton, cucurbit vegetables, fruiting vegetables, leafy vegetables (except Brassica), leaves of root and tuber vegetables, low growing berry, okra, ornamentals (herbaceous and woody), pistachio, pome fruits, root and tuber vegetables, small fruit vine climbing (except fuzzy kiwifruit), soybean, stone fruits, succulent, edible podded, and dry beans, tree nuts, triticale, turfgrass, watercress and wheat.

On January 14, 2013, the EPA posted a notice of their proposal to allow a conditional registration of sulfoxaflor. They allowed public comments for 30 days. The notice reads, in part:

"The Agency is proposing to conditionally register the new insecticide sulfoxaflor, for use on barley, bulb vegetables, canola (rapeseed), citrus, cotton, cucurbit vegetables, fruiting vegetables, leafy vegetables, low growign berry, okra, ornamentals (herbaceous and woody), pistachio, pome fruits, root and tuber vegetables, small fruit vine climbing (except fuzzy kiwifruit), soybean, stone fruit, succulent, edible podded and dry beans, tree nuts, triticale, turfgrass (commercial sodfarms and grass grown for seed), watercress, and wheat."

Articles and resources

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