Ontario unveils new neonic rules

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

by SUSAN MANN

Ontario’s government is proposing to create a new class of pesticides to regulate the sale and use of neonicotinoid-treated corn and soybean seeds under the provincial Pesticides Act.

The proposed regulation would create a Class 12 of pesticides for corn and soybean seeds treated with imidacloprid, thiamethoxam or clothianidin. The regulation was released for public comment Monday.

It also has new requirements for farmers wanting to use neonicotinoid-treated seeds, including the need for integrated pest management (IPM) training and the completion of a pest assessment demonstrating a pest infestation. Sellers would have to get a new treated seed vendors license.

People have until May 7 to comment.

Grain Farmers of Ontario chair Mark Brock and CEO Barry Senft were in meetings and unavailable for comment. But spokesperson Meghan Burke says “the proposal just came out today so we’re taking some time to really evaluate it and understand it. We’ve also been in conversation with government about it to make sure that we’re clearly understanding it.”

Grain Farmers officials will be talking about the proposal at the organization’s semi-annual meeting Wednesday, she says. “I’m sure delegates have a lot of questions.”

Tibor Szabo, president of the Ontario Beekeepers’ Association, says while he hasn’t gone over the proposal in depth yet, “it’s a really good step forward.” The government is doing “more than anybody else is doing on this really serious issue, especially for our industry.”

Szabo says it looks like the proposal will be phased in over “a couple of years before the 80 per cent target will be reached.” Still the proposal is “encouraging for beekeepers.”

Ontario Agriculture Minister Jeff Leal says in a statement emailed by his senior press adviser, the proposed regulation “allows producers to access treated seed where there is a demonstrated need. The regulation will also be implemented over time, allowing producers an opportunity to adjust.”

Leal says the government will pick up the cost for the required new pest management training over the coming year.

In its press release the government said it’s taking the strongest action in North America to protect bees, birds, butterflies and other pollinators by proposing the new rules that will cut the number acres planted with neonicotinoid-treated corn and soybean seeds by 80 per cent by 2017. If approved the new rules will become effective July 1.

Seed buyers, farmers or any person supervising neonicotinoid-treated seed planting would be required to receive Integrated Pest Management (IPM) training, according to a government summary of the proposal. The IPM training would be specific to corn and soybean production and will be developed to “promote the use of different methods to prevent and reduce the risk of pests and encourage beneficial insects,” the summary says. The course would include information on the importance of pollinators in the ecosystem, how to protect pollinators from pesticide exposure, pest identification, pest scouting methods and alternatives to pesticides for pest control.

The course will be available starting this fall and in the winter and spring of 2016 and  will be offered both online and in classrooms. After successfully completing the course, a certification number will be issued that’s valid for five years, the summary says.

This year, farmers will be able buy neonicotinoid-treated seed for the 2016 growing season for up to 50 per cent of their land that will be planted with corn and soybean seed if they make a written declaration. For any amount above the 50 per cent, farmers will have to complete a pest assessment.

Also for this year, a farmer would be able to perform a soil pest assessment for the 2016 growing season. But after the 2016 season, a farmer who wants to order neonicotinoid-treated seeds will need to have IPM training and a pest assessment demonstrating a pest infestation.  The pest assessment would need to be done by a person with IPM training or an independent pest adviser. There is a definition of the independent pest adviser in the proposed regulation.

The pest assessments are to be submitted to the provincial agriculture ministry, the summary says.

The summary notes there are two pest assessment methods that can be used to determine pest problems:

• Soil pest scouting that confirms the presence of two pests (grubs and wireworms) above thresholds that are outlined in the regulations.
• A crop damage assessment that confirms damage due to four pests – grubs, wireworms, corn rootworm and seed corn maggot – above thresholds.

There are about 20 seed companies selling neonicotinoid-treated seed in Ontario, the summary says, and they’ll be required to obtain a new “treated seed vendors license.”

Licensed treated seed vendors will only be permitted to sell the treated seed to people with IPM training or other licensed treated seed vendors. Some of the other requirements treated seed sellers will have to meet include:

• Notifying buyers that the seed they’re buying is neonicotinoid-treated seed.
• Ensuring untreated seeds are available for farmers to buy.
• Reporting sales of neonicotinoid-treated seeds to the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change. BF