Press Release 04/21/2006
Contact: Public Affairs (404) 656-3689
Herbicide Cleared for use on ’06 Cotton Crop
ATLANTA – Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Tommy Irvin announced today that Georgia cotton farmers will have a “crisis exemption” to use the herbicide Reflex in controlling pigweed in the state’s #1 cash crop.
The clearance comes after Agriculture Commissioner Irvin petitioned the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in late January for this year’s cotton crop. This special “crisis exemption” became effective today, after Irvin notified EPA and Syngenta Crop Protection, the manufacturer of Reflex. All parties are in agreement regarding the “Crisis Exemption.”
“Cotton farmers need Reflex to control a type of pigweed that is resistant to the popular herbicide Roundup,” said Irvin. “With the exemption, we can now get the crop in the ground and begin the growing season.”
Pigweed (Palmer amaranth) is a large, thick-stalked plant that sucks water and valuable nutrients from nearby plants. It can also clog a cotton picker. Certain populations of this pigweed are resistant to Roundup and are therefore posing a very serious problem.
“I want to commend the EPA, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Service and Syngenta for working with us on this special authorization,” said Irvin. “We want this year’s crop to be our largest and most profitable.”
In 2004, the most recent year for which data are available, Georgia grew 1.39 million acres of cotton and reaped a $406 million harvest. Cotton is grown throughout the state, but Georgia’s primary cotton belt stretches south of Augusta to the Florida border.
Scientists at the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Service, who are endorsing the use of Reflex for this year’s cotton crop, estimate that Roundup-resistant pigweed could result in a $38.1 million industry loss if emergency measures were not put in place.
For information and restrictions on using Reflex, cotton farmers should contact Doug Jones (404) 656-4958 at the Georgia Department of Agriculture.
# # #
Print this