Films Keep Fumigant Emissions Low
July 27, 2011 For years, methyl bromide has been a critical tool vegetable, strawberry, and ornamental growers used to combat soil-dwelling nematodes, diseases, and weeds. The fumigant, as most know, is being phased out and alternative fumigants are presenting new challenges for those who are trying to keep the air clean.
According to “Helping Growers Adapt to Changing Rules on Fumigants,” in the July 2011 issue of Agricultural Research magazine, the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) has been conducting studies to find the best alternatives to the fumigant since the mid-1990s, and because of the issue’s critical importance, the agency initiated a special areawide pest-management project five years ago that made several additional research efforts possible.
As part of that five-year effort, ARS researchers in Florida and California are helping to minimize release of the alternative fumigants into the atmosphere with studies focused on fumigant emission rates and the effectiveness of tarps used as barriers to cover fumigated soil. The work also is designed to assist EPA and other regulators charged with developing new fumigant requirements to better protect people who use them or live near treated fields.
Click here for the full story, “Helping Growers Adapt to Changing Rules on Fumigants,” in the July 2011 issue of Agricultural Research magazine.
Source: Dennis O’Brien, Agricultural Research Service Information Staff
