EPA - "Little To No Benefit" To Using Neonics With Soybeans - Harvest Unchanged
Neonicotinoid seed treatments intended to control insects provide negligible benefits to soybean production, says a new analysis from the Environmental Protection Agency.
EPA expedited its review because of growing concerns that neonicotinoid pesticides are linked with a decline in bee populations. About a third of the soybeans planted in the U.S. each year are treated with neonicotinoid pesticides before planting, according to EPA. The agency approved this specific use in 2004.
“In most cases there is no difference in soybean yield when soybean seed was treated with neonicotinoids versus not receiving any insect control treatment,” says the analysis, which was released on Oct. 16.
Neonicotinoid seed treatments give protection to soybean leaves for the plant’s first three to four weeks. But, EPA points out, this isn’t when some pests targeted by the treatment, such as the soybean aphid, are the most active. “Alternative insecticides applied as sprays are available and effective” against soybean pests, EPA says. Such alternatives are comparable in cost with neonicotinoid treatments, the agency notes.
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http://cen.acs.org/articles/92/web/2014/10/Soybeans-Treated-Neonicotinoid-Pesticides-Offer.html