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Virginia iarmers are reeling in the aftermath of the October 8 emergency suspension of dinoseb, a widely-used agricultural chemical.
The unexpected ban by the Environmental Protection Agency brings with it a promise of higher production costs, and in some cases, the loss of the farmer’s only effective weed control.
Southeastern Virginia peanut growers and Eastern Shore vegetable producers will be hardest hit by the suspension, said Extension specialists at Virginia Tech. A lesser impact will be felt by soybean, small grain and alfalfa producers. The chemical also was used minimally in vineyards and nursery operations.
Dinoseb is marketed by 80 U.S. and foreign companies and is an active ingredient in about 180 commercial products.
“Dinoseb is primarily a contact herbicide used to control broadleaf weeds,” said Michael J. Weaver, Extension pesticide specialist. “It is applied either by ground equipment, airplane or hand-held spray units.”
The chemical was suspended because it has caused birth defects in laboratory animals and sterility in male rats and mice. EPA officials believe that dinoseb exposure is most dangerous to women during the first three months of pregnancy. The agency reports that eating foods
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