Alberta Watershed Pilot Project to Provide Valuable Data to PMRA

Oct 18, 2022

Nevin Rosaasen is helping spearhead one of the most comprehensive water monitoring studies in Alberta in recent memory.

A lot has gone into it: hundreds of thousands of dollars in funding has allowed researchers to screen 15 Alberta wetlands adjacent to agricultural land for 127 different pesticides. The data will be stored in an online portal which will be available for consideration in pesticide risk assessments completed by Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA).

This study will provide useful information that the PMRA can consider in a national water monitoring framework that the PMRA is developing in collaboration with partners across the country.

Click here to see more...

Video: Dicamba Returns for Georgia Farmers: What the New EPA Ruling Means for Cotton Growers

After being unavailable in 2024 due to registration issues, dicamba products are returning for Georgia farmers this growing season — but under strict new conditions.

In this report from Tifton, Extension Weed Specialist Stanley Culpepper explains the updated EPA ruling, including new application limits, mandatory training requirements, and the need for a restricted use pesticide license. Among the key changes: a cap of two ½-pound applications per year and the required use of an approved volatility reduction agent with every application.

For Georgia cotton producers, the ruling is significant. According to Taylor Sills with the Georgia Cotton Commission, the vast majority of cotton planted in the state carries the dicamba-tolerant trait — meaning farmers had been paying for technology they couldn’t use.

While environmental groups have expressed concerns over spray drift, Georgia growers have reduced off-target pesticide movement by more than 91% over the past decade. Still, this two-year registration period will come with increased scrutiny, making stewardship and compliance more important than ever.