UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY WASHINGTON, D.C

. 20460 

## IJUL 

## 06 2011

MEMORANDUM OFFICE OF CHEMICAL SAFETY AND POLLUTION PREVENTION



### SUBJECT: BEAD Chemical Profile for Registration Review: Thiamethoxam (060109)

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### FROM: David Brassard, Senior Entomologist

## ~~**~** Biological Analysis Branch JihadAlsadek,Economist

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# 11-~ Science Information and Analysis Branch Derek Berwald, Economist 

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# ~~ Economic Analysis Branch ""\) Biological and Economic Analysis Division (7503P 

### THRU: Arnet Jones, Chief 

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# ~ -:1;--s Biological Analysis Brarih

- /' Diann Sims, Chief

# ~ Science Information and Analysis Branch Timothy Kiely, Chief (\... 

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# rQ Economic Analysis Branch

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# J. U Biological andEconomic Analysis Division (7503P) 

### TO: Carissa Cyran, Chemical Review Manager Risk Management and Implementation Branch 1 Pesticide Re-evaluation Division (7508P)
ProductReview Panel date: June 15,2011 

### INTRODUCTION The purpose ofthis document is to convey usage information and a broad overview ofthe pest managementroles ofpesticides that are beginning to undergo registrationreview. The anticipated audience consists ofthe team ofEPA staffcurrently evaluating the registration status ofThiamethoxam, and eventually the general public. This document builds upon the data already 1provided in the "Usage and Label Use DataPackages" that are also provided to Registration Reviewteams by BEAD
. . The document is based on information and data available to BEAD as ofJune 15,2011. Thiamethoxam is a second generation neonicotinoid insecticide, belonging to the thianicotinyl subclass. Thiamethoxam acts onthe central nervous system bybinding to the postsynaptic nicotinic acetylcholine receptor. Thiamethoxam is highly water soluble and is readily translocated inplanttissue giving it good systemic activity. Thiamethoxam has stomach and contact activity and is effective against a wide variety ofinsects**~cluding** aphids, thrips, beetles, centipedes, millipedes, sawflies, leafminers, stemborers and termites. USE SITES Agricultural Use Sites Thiamethoxam is registered for use on a wide variety offield, fiber, forage, fruit, spice, and vegetable crops. The following is a partial list ofregistered crop uses: 8J.falfa, apple, artichoke, broccoli, cabbage, caneberries, cantaloupe, carrot, cauliflower, celery, cherries, com, cotton, cucumbers, dry beans, grapefruit, grapes, lemons, lettuce, oranges, peaches, peas, pears, pecans, peppers, plums/prunes, potatoes, pumpkins, sorghum, soybeans, spinach, squash, strawberries, sunflower, sugarbeet, tobacco, tomatoes, watermelons, and wheat. Non-Agricultural Use Sites Thiamethoxam is registered for use on or in domestic dwellings, food handling establishments, commercial/institutional/industrial areas, livestock pens, poultry houses, wood or wooden structures, and transportation vehicles. COMMON FORMULATIONS AND APPLICATION METHODS Thiamethoxamis marketed inthe following formulations: granular, water dispersible granules, emulsifiable concentrate, flowable concentrate, soluble concentrate, and ready-to-use solution. Thiamethoxam is applied as a foliar treatment, soil treatment, seed treatment, water treatment, bait application, and premise treatment. USAGE Agricultural Based onprivate marketpesticide usage data from 2000-2010, the annual total agricultural usage averaged 400,000 pounds active ingredient for 18 million treated acres for an overall average applicationrate of0.02Ibs. a.i. per acre. The annual total agricultural usage data for the last three years, 2008-2010, averaged 900,000 pounds active ingredient for 45 million treated acres for an overall average application rate also of0.02 lbs. a.i. per acre. In comparison to this rate, the average a.i. application rate inlbs. a.i. per acre is 0.03 for both soybeans and cotton and 0.01 for com. The use ofthiamethoxam has been increasing over time.


### 2From 2000-2010, the crops with the highest use in terms oftotal pounds ofactive ingredient applied are soybeans (36%), com (31%), and cotton (26%). Crops with the highest total area treated (TAT) are com (51%), soybeans (27%), and cotton (16%). On average, the states withthe highest use ofthiamethoxam in terms ofpounds a.i. applied are Iowa (10%), Nebraska (7%), and Texas, Arkansas, Mississippi, Minnesota, and Illinois (6% each). (proprietary Data, 2000-2010). Non-Agricultural About 300 lbs. a.i. ofthiamethoxam was used in greenhouses and nurseries in 2006. USE TRENDS Figure1provides usage data for crops with the highest use ofthiamethoxam in terms ofpounds a.i. applied for the whole period, 2000-2010. The use ofthiamethoxam on com started in 2004 and was increasing thereafter. The use on soybeans increased from 2006 to 2010. The use of thiamethoxam fluctuated on cotton (2000-2010). The crops in "othercrops" with the most use of thiamethoxam are potatoes (3%), spring wheat, winter wheat, and sorghum (1% each). Figure 2 provides usage data for crops with the highest use ofthiamethoxam interms ofpounds a.i. applied for the last three years (2008-2010)
. Data for these three years showthe use of thiamethoxam is rising on cotton, soybeans, and "other crops", while the use ofthiamethoxam on cotton is almost stable. The use ofthis chemical has increased overtime
. The dataprovided in this section are provided for preliminary scoping purposes only because the datahave not been analyzed. Figure 1 ThiamethoxamAgricultural Use, 2000-2010

1,200,000 

## -r-----------------

• Other Crops PoundsA.I. • Soybeans
• Cotton

. Corn 20002001200220032004200520062007200820092010 Years "Other crops" with significantusage ofthiamethoxam includes potatoes (3%), spring wheat, winter wheat, and sorghum (1% each).



### 3Figure 2 Thiamethoxam Agricultural Use, 2008-2010 1,200,000
PoundsA.I.


### o 2008 2009 Years • Other Crops • Soybeans • Cotton

. Corn 2010 "Other crops" with significant usage ofthiamethoxamincludes potatoes (3%), spring wheat, winter wheat, and sorghum (1% each). Source: Proprietary Data, 2000-2010 

### BIOLOGICALASPECTS RELEVANT TO THIAMETHOXAM The registrant makes 

## anumber ofplant health claims regarding thi
. amethoxam (Syngenta 2011). Syngenta's trademarked name for this phenomenon is "Thiamethoxam VigorTM." Syngenta claims that thiamethoxam offers growers additional benefits beyond broad-spectrum insect protection such as faster emergence, greater plant stands, earlier canopy, taller and greener plants, and improved qUality. Syngenta claims thiamethoxam positively affects the plantthrough its abilityto increase the biosynthesis offunctional proteins resulting in more effective defense against numerous environmental stress conditions (Syngenta 2011).


### mSTORY OF BEAD ASSESSMENTS FORTHIAMETHOXAM Thiamethoxam has been evaluated for Section 18 requests several times, but only once in the last five years. In that case, there was a request for thiamethoxam to control grape colapsis in Arkansas rice. The state, however, provided insufficient yield loss infonnation for BEAD to detennine ifthere would be a significant economic loss without thiamethoxam. Inearlier requests, anurgent and non-routine situation was found for requests to control cranberry weevil in Massachusetts (2003, 2002). BEAD was unable to make a finding or found the situationto be either non-urgent or routine for pears, in Washington, soybean for seed in Iowa, insect pests in South Carolinapeaches and dry beans for seed inWashington and Idaho. 

### INFORMATION THAT MAY BE USEFUL FORBEAD'S FUTURE WORK ON THIAMETHOXAM Obtaining additional infonnation onthe following items would improve future BEAD assessments ofthe importance ofthiamethoxam and may be required as part ofthe registration review ofthis pesticide. BEAD would like to obtain additional usage infonnation onthe non-agricultural use sites. Our available non-agricultural database does not survey these sites. 

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### REFERENCES Proprietary**Data~** 2000-2010 Kline and Company, Inc., 2006 Label Use Information System (LUIS) Report, 2011 Syngenta. 2011. Thiamethoxam Questions and Answers. http://www.syngentacropprotection.com/assets/assetlibrary/canada THX OA.pdf



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