The US EPA has recently published its final “Guidance for Herbicide Resistance Management Labeling, Education, Training, and Stewardship” a.k.a. Pesticide Registration Notice (PRN) 2017-2.
More info on PRN’s can be found at: https://www.epa.gov/pesticide-registration/pesticide-registration-notices-year
This guidance applies to herbicide products applied in pretty much every crop and non-crop area, except for those applied in residential settings (i.e. lawns). One use category that we asked EPA to exclude from this guidance was herbicides applied for aquatic weed control due to the very different nature in how aquatic weeds are managed. However, aquatic use herbicides will also have to follow this guidance. All new herbicide products will be required to have this labeling guidance as well as existing herbicides that go through registration review.
The herbicide resistance management guidance is simplified into 3 categories (pg. 10).
- Label requirements
- Terms of registration
- Education, training, and stewardship.
The registrants will be responsible for the first 2 categories. The weed management stakeholder community (crop advisors, extension, commodity groups and registrants) will be responsible for the 3rd category, which is basically providing educational and training materials for growers and users. EPA states “the most successful strategies for herbicide resistance management will be tailored for local conditions” and that the stakeholder community “work collaboratively” to design effective material. More info on this can be found in Appendix 1 on the last two pages of the guidance doc.
For questions, contact
Lee Van Wychen, Ph.D.
Science Policy Director
National and Regional Weed Science Societies
5720 Glenmullen Pl, Alexandria, VA 22303
[email protected]
Phone: 202-746-4686