Thank you. Yes, I saw the link. I use it (Asana) early in the season for peaches but have never tried it for Peach Tree Borers. Its labeled but as not effective in my climate as far as I can determine… The NC peach production manual gives it 3 stars compared with 5 stars for Lorsban.
I would prefer to spray Asana rather than Lorsban if it will kill the PTB. I don’t have any solid science to back up my preference, but I avoid spraying organophosphate chemicals when possible.
I think you should give Asana a try for PTB. In general, pyrethroids are way safer to humans and mammals than chlorpyrifos and organophosphates. Esfenvalerate is labeled for residential use on lawns and solid surfaces, while chlorpyrifos has been banned from some countries all together. Unfortunately, the EPA does not do as good a job in protecting us as the European Union regulatory bodies do for Europeans.
Good to know.
And highly restricted states in some states.
… compared to the state of CA.
The decision from the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals to send the rule back to the agency does not preclude the agency from reinstating the ban in the future.
It said the EPA needs to give greater consideration to whether there are cases where the pesticide, called chlorpyrifos, could be used safely.
Chlorpyrifos was used as a granular product to control root worms in peanuts. The worms are the larvae of the Spotted Cucumber beetle. They feed on the developing peanuts around the middle of the growing season. No effective alternative have been found. So now you have growers applying sprays of various products every couple of weeks trying to kill adult beetles before they lay their eggs. All of which are deadly to pollinators. Peanuts are self pollinating but fields are a buzz of Bumblebees during the long season of flower production in peanuts.
So in that case the ban has increased use of other insecticides that may cause concerns themselves. Although highly unlikely to see any return of Chlorpyrifos for special uses, it would be so expensive due to limited sales versus cost to manufacturer, it wouldn’t be used.
Another solution is to not grow peanuts.
Hey! I grow peanuts! But I don’t spray because small plots don’t get as much insect pressure as fields such as are grown in Virginia.
Peanuts were a 1.5 billion dollar crop for the USA in 2022. Of course not all areas have that insect problem or even every year. Dry weather limits survival of larvae in soil and heavier soils that stay wet longer have more problems with them.
The real question is whether the profits justify the toxic effects (I vaguely remember it has neurodevelopmental toxicity, specially affecting infants and kids) that afflict the children and families of the farmer communities living near these fields? Are these profits completely lost, or can they be obtained (at least partially) by growing other crops that don’t require the use of chlorpyrifos?
Note that those afflicted are mostly the poor farmers and their families and not the rich, mega farm owners. I believe consumers may suffer some effects too, but not as pronounced as farm communities.
Not sure about the ban on the sale of the product but I believe the EPA set a zero limit for residuals related the the chemical in foods which prevents it’s use on Apples and Peaches and probably all other food crops.
It was the recommended control for Peach borer for a long time, but I don’t see the chemical listed in the spray guide anymore. Standard procedure was to spray the bottom of the leader and the soil at the base of the peach trees with the chemical around labor day in my part of the country.
I believe the chemical is still used for insect control around homes and buildings in some parts of the world.
Some approved uses are shown in “List 2”. Things like Christmas Trees, Turf and Ornamentals.
The EPA is always coming up with stuff to ban or regulate. A public comment period just ended on mandating retention ponds for subsurface drainage tile in fields that have pesticides sprayed on them.
The majority of coastal plains of the south are tiled or drainage ditches in areas where elevation is too low for tile to work.
Some bureaucrats who have been on a farm thought that one up. I read some comments posted on the EPA site. Some are for it to force all farms to go organic. I am sure those folks will be happy to grow their own food as well.
Many of the things they have banned or regulated over the decades likely saved countless lives and allowed ecosystems to recover from the unregulated dumping of harmful chemicals that was commonplace before we had an EPA. So I’m happy that they are doing the job that Congress created them to do!
Peanuts are a good candidate for warehouse-size indoor agriculture. The savings in operational and processing costs more than make up for the initial investment.
Peanuts indoors? That’s a great way to turn a large fortune into pocket change.
@fruitnut
Anyone with a viable interest in starting commercial indoor peanut or tuber agriculture can obtain quotes by submitting RFPs to crop advisory and supply firms who employ full-time licensed agricultural advisors.
Richard, peanuts gross about $1K per acre. Pot is 100-1000x that. One is a candidate for indoor warehouses the other isn’t.
I could do a million a year gross of pot in my 1700 sqft greenhouse right up until they hauled me to jail.
Certainly there’s better crops than peanuts.
For each edible crop that can be grown to a marketable quality indoors, there is a range of warehouse sizes necessary for sustainable profits. Your greenhouse is too small for many of them.