MEMORANDUM 

UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 

WASHINGTON D.C., 20460 

OCT 2 O Z015 

OFFICE OF CHEMICAL SAFETY 

AND POLLUTION PREVENTION 

SUBJECT: BEAD Chemical Profile (BCP) for Registration Review: Propiconazole (122101) 

FROM: 

THRU: 

TO: 

Tara Chandgoyal, Ph. D., Plant Pathologist 

Biological Analysis Branch 

Rafael A. Prieto, Environmental Protection Specialist,;? Ah 1 Science Information and Analysis Branch / 

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Economic 

Stephen Smearman, 

Analysis Branch 

Economist 

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Biological and Economic Analysis Division (7503P) 

Arnet Jones, Chief ;j__ /J £?~ ~ ArJ- J;..,.s 

Biological Analysis B~h / 

Diann 

Science 

Sims, 

Information 

Chief ~ and Analysis Branch 

Timothy 

Economic KielyAnalysis , Chief Branch ~ ~ ~ 

Biological and Economic Anal is Division 503P) 

Linsey Walsh, Chemical Review Manager 

Risk Management and Implementation Branch 3 

Pesticide Re-evaluation Division (7508P) 

Peer Review Panel date: October 7, 2015 

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SUMMARY 

Propiconazole is a systemic fungicide with protective, curative, and eradicant properties. These 

antifungal properties results in fungal disease control on various crop. Propiconazole belongs to 

fungicide group 3 of FRAC classification of fungicides (FRAC, 2015). There is a medium risk of 

developing resistance in fungal plant pathogens against propiconazole (FRAC, 2015). 

Propiconazole is registered for use on many crops (barley, wheat, peanuts, and others) for 

controlling fungal diseases. Propiconazole is used on various crops to control fungal pests. As 

per the SLUA generated in 2015 (time frame of2004-2013), the crops with the highest annual 

average pounds (a.i.) are wheat (500,000 lbs.), com (200,000 lbs.), and rice (100,000 lbs.). In 

terms of average percent crop treated (PCT), the top crops are celery and pluots (plum and 

apricot hybrid California crop), with an average of 55% percent crop treated (PCT). 

INTRODUCTION 

Propiconazole was first registered in 1981 for use on grass grown for seed and subsequently 

many more crops were added to propiconazole registration. The Biological and Economic 

Analysis Division (BEAD) Chemical Profile (BCP) provides an overview of the pest 

management roles and quantitative usage information for propiconazole. The BCP includes 

summaries of previous BEAD products and available public and/or private use and usage data 

for propiconazole to describe the role of this chemical in pest management. Additional 

information on use is available in the propiconazole Label Data Report. Information provided in 

this BCP may be used by stakeholders (e.g., users and registrants), OPP risk assessors, and OPP 

risk managers, and the general public during the Registration Review process of this pesticide. 

USE SITES 

Propiconazole is registered for use on the following agricultural use sites: stone fruit crop group 

12, citrus fruits crop group 10, tree nut group 14, cereal grains group 15, apples, bananas, dry 

beans, succulent beans (snap), bulb vegetables, carrots, celery, coriander; cranberry, grasses 

grown for seed, mint, mushroom houses-empty, ornamentals, parsley, peanuts, pineapple, 

pistachio, plantain, soybeans, strawberry, sugar beet, sugarcane, sunflower, and tomato. 

Propiconazole is registered for use on the following non-agricultural use sites: golf course turf, 

wood protection treatment (indoor and outdoor buildings, unseasoned forest products), 

adhesives, coatings, metalworking cutting fluids, paints, paper/paper products, plastic products, 

rubber products, specialty industrial products, specialty uses, and textiles. 

FORMULATIONS AND APPLICATION METHODS 

Propiconazole is formulated as a dry flowable, emulsifiable concentrate, ready to use, soluble 

concentrate, flowable concentrate, suspoemulsion, and granular. Propiconazole can be applied as 

a ground and aerial sprayer, as a clip treatment, or by chemigation. Propiconazole is also used as 

a preservative treatment during the manufacture of industrial commodities such as adhesives, 

paint, coatings, plastics, paper, and textiles. 

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HISTORY OF PROPICONAZOLE and BEAD PRODUCTS 

Propiconazole was first registered in 1981 by Ciba Geigy for use on grass grown for seed. A ten 

year search (2006-2015) of the BEAD database for previous products for propiconazole shows 

one Section 18 Emergency Exemption Quarantine Request on avocados in Florida for control of 

laurel wilt in 2010 (Chandgoyal, 2010). BEAD reviewed the application and concurred with the 

request for this use. Subsequently this emergency exemption was renewed by Registration 

Division in 2013 (http://cfuubl.epa.gov/oppref/section 18/searchbyrespdate.cfm). Section 18 

Emergency Exemption Requests might suggest that a chemical is important for the uses granted 

in the request; however, a lack of Section 18 Emergency Exemption Requests is not an indication 

of the relative importance of the chemical. 

USAGE 

Agricultural 

From 2004 to 2008 (before this chemical's RED), annual usage of propiconazole averaged 

710,000 pounds. During this time, an average of 8,600,000 acres were treated annually with an 

overall average application rate of 0.081 pounds a.i. per acre. For the 2009-2013 timeframe, 

propiconazole annual usage averaged 1,400,000 pounds of a.i. treating an annual average of 

17 ,000,000 acres, for an overall average application rate of 0.084 pounds a.i. per acre. 

The use of propiconazole, in terms of pourids a.i. and total area treated (TAT), has been 

increasing since 2004. While use decreased from 2008 to 2010, both pounds applied and total 

area treated have increased in the most recent years (Figure 1 ). 

Usage Trends 

Figure 1. Propiconazole Pounds A. I. Applied and Total Area Treated (TAT) in Acres 

(2004-2013) 

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Source: Proprietary Data, 2004-2013 

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As shown in Table 1 below, spring and winter wheat are the top crops accounting for 

approximately 50 percent of propiconazole usage. North Dakota is the state that has the highest 

use of propiconazole, reflecting the main use which is wheat (Table 3). 

Tab le 1. Crops with Hi2hest Propiconazole Use - Percent of Total Lbs. Applied (2004-2 013) 

2004-2008 2009-2013 

Crop %Lbs Crop %Lbs 

Wheat, Winter 24 Wheat, Winter 26 

Wheat, Spring 20 Wheat, Spring 25 

Com 16 Com 17 

Rice 15 Rice 12 

Peanuts 9 Soybeans 8 

Source: Proprietary Data, 2004-2013 

In terms of the crops with the highest percent crop treated (PCT) with propiconazole according 

to the Screening Level Usage Analysis (SLUA) (BEAD, 2015), celery, hazelnuts and pluots each 

account for an average of 55, 45, and 55 PCT respectively of their annual acreage treated with 

propiconazole (Table 2). 

Table 2. Percent Crop Treated with Propiconazole (2004-2013). 

Crop Percent Crop Treated 

Average Maximum 

Celery 55 75 

Hazelnuts 45 65 

Pluots (California crop) 55 75 

Source: Propiconazole SLUA, 2015. 

Table 3. States with Highest Use of Propiconazole - Percent of Total Lbs. Applied (2004-

20 13) 

2004-2008 2009-2013 

State %Lbs State %Lbs 

North Dakota 18 North Dakota 17 

Kansas 9 Arkansas 8 

Arkansas 8 Washington 7 

Georgia 8 Kansas 6 

Texas 6 California 5 

Source: Proprietary Data, 2004-2013 

Application Rates 

From 2004 to 2008, the application rates for the top crops for propiconazole (in terms of 

pounds), range from 0.063 lbs a.i. per acre on spring wheat, up to 0.126 lbs a.i. per acre for rice 

(Table 4). For years 2009-2013, the application rates for the top crops for propiconazole (in 

terms of pounds), range from 0.070 lbs a.i. per acre on spring wheat, and up to 0.135 lbs a.i. per 

acre on rice. Application rates on com and soybeans have decreased. These rates are lower than 

the label rates. 

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Table 4. Propiconazole Use on Top Crops: Average Annual Usage with A.I. Rate, 2004-

2013 

2004-2008 2009-2013 

Average Average Avg. a.i Average Average Avg. a.i. Label Annual Annual 

Crop Annual Total Rate Annual Total Rate Rate 

Total (lbs a.i. I Total (lbs a.i. (lbs a.i. I Area Area Pounds Treated* acre) Pounds Treated* I acre) acre) 

Winter 170,000 2,100,000 0.080 360,000 4,100,000 0.088 0.11 Wheat 

Spring 140,000 2,300,000 0.063 350,000 5,000,000 0.070 0.11 Wheat 

Corn 110,000 1,200,000 0.092 230,000 2,900,000 0.079 0.11 

Rice 110,000 870,000 0.126 160,000 1,200,000 0.135 0.21-0.29 

Peanuts 64,000 960,000 0.066 64,000 900,000 0.071 0.11-0.23 

Soybeans 42,000 460,000 0.090 110,000 1,500,000 0.073 0.11-0.17 

*Total Acres Treated sums all acres treated for a crop, including those acres that receive multiple 

treatments. 

Source: EPA Proprietary Data, 2004-2013 

NASS also shows use for nursery & floriculture with 2,400 pounds a.i. in 2006 and 2,300 pounds 

a.i in 2009. Source: NASS, 2006, 2009 

Non-agricultural 

TABLE 5 N A . . on- .gr1cu ltu ra 1 U se o f P ropaconazo I e, 2002 2004 2012 ' ' Sector Year Lbs a.i. Applied 

Professional Turf Management and Horticultural Nurseries 2001 108,000 

Professional Turf Management and Horticultural Nurseries 2003 126,000 

Professional Turf and Ornamental Markets 2011 155,000 

Specialty Biocides for Use in Wood Preservation Applications 2011 28,000 

Source: Proprietary Data, 2002, 2004, 2012 

BIOLOGICAL ASPECTS RELEVANT TO PROPICONAZOLE 

Propiconazole inhibits sterol demethylation in fungi, causing fungal cell wall collapse and 

inhibition ofhyphal growth. Propiconazole is a systemic fungicide with protective, curative, and 

eradicant properties. These antifungal properties results in fungal disease control on various 

crops. Propiconazole belongs to fungicide group 3 (SBI: Class I, such as fenbuconazole, 

myclobutanil, prothioconazole, tetraconazole and some others) of FRAC classification of 

fungicides (FRAC, 2015). There is medium risk of developing resistance in fungal plant 

pathogens against propiconazole (FRAC, 2015). Propiconazole can be used as a standalone 

fungicide or in combination/alternation with fungicides with different mode of action (such as 

azoxystrobin, pyraclostrobin). Since 2006 propiconazole use has increased, that may be due to 

high disease pressure on different crops and especially on wheat. On wheat it is mainly used for 

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controlling Fusarium head blight (Hershman, 2011) and rust diseases that can cause significant 

yield losses. 

ROLE OF PROPICONAZOLE IN PEST MANAGEMENT 

Propiconazole is predominantly used on wheat (approximately 44 and 51 percent of total usage 

during 2004-2008 and 2009-2013, respectively) followed by com, rice and peanuts (Table I). 

Propiconazole is used on wheat in North Dakota to manage Fusarium head blight and rust 

diseases. In North Dakota, disease pressure is usually high on wheat and it is used every year to 

manage these diseases (Glogoza, et al., 2000). In addition, tebuconazole, prothioconazole, 

azoxystrobin and pyraclostrobin are used to manage these diseases on wheat. 

Propiconazole can be applied alone or in combination with other fungicides (such as 

azoxystrobin, pyraclostrobin). 

Propiconazole is used on com to manage many fungal diseases (rusts, leaf blights, grey leaf spot 

and powdery mildew). On com mancozeb and azoxystrobin and pyraclostrobin can be used on 

manage these diseases. 

On rice it is used for managing sheath blight, kernel smut, false smut and neck blast diseases. 

Propiconazole can be used alone or in combination with other fungicides such as azoxystrobin, 

trifloxystrobin for better efficacy and resistance management (Warmish, 2015). 

On peanuts it is used for managing leaf spot and limb rot diseases (Brenneman et al., 1994). It is 

usually mixed with chlorothalonil for better efficacy and resistance management. 

On other crops (such as almonds, peaches, plums/prunes, sugar beets, hazelnuts, celery, cherries, 

pistachios, strawberries, garlic, dry beans/peas, apricots) propiconazole is used for controlling 

fungal diseases (leaf spot, and powdery mildew and rust diseases). 

DATA NEEDS 

The Agency currently does not have important non-agricultural information on propiconazole. 

Obtaining the following information for all registered non-agricultural sites may improve future 

assessments conducted by the Agency related to the use and importance of propiconazole. 

• Total pounds active ingredient applied 

• Percent .crop/site treated 

• Application rates: typical and maximum 

• Frequency of application 

• Application Intervals 

• Methods of application 

• Target or niche pests 

• Efficacy information/product performance 

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In addition, obtaining the following usage information may improve future assessments 

conducted by the Agency related to the use and importance of propiconazole in agricultural 

settings: 

1) Typical application timing in each registered crop. 

2) If more than one application is typically made, the typical re-application interval (per 

crop). 

3) Recent resistance reports for propiconazole in populations of important target pests, in 

particular cases of cross-resistance to other fungicides. 

REFERENCES: 

Brenneman, TB., Sumner, HR., Chandler, LR., Hammond, JM., and Culbreath, AK, 1994. Effect 

of application techniques on performance of propiconazole for peanut disease control. Peanut 

Science: 134-138. 

Chandgoyal. 2010. Emergency Exemption Quarantine Request on avocados in Florida for 

control of laurel wilt in 2010 

FRAC. 2015. http://www. frac. info/ docs/ defaul t-source/publications/frac-code-list/frac-code-list 

20 l 5-finalC2AD7 AA36764.pdf?sfvrsn=4 

Accessed on August 12, 2015. 

Glogoza, P., McMullen, M., Zollinger, R., Peel, M, and Fisher, N. 2000. Crop profile for hard 

red spring and durum wheat in North Dakota. 

http://www.ag.ndsu.nodak.edu/aginfo/entomology/ndpiap/ND Crop Profiles/HRS Durum Whe 

at/crop profile for ND wheat.htm 

Hershman, DE. 2011. Fungicide Use in wheat. 

http://www2.ca.uky.edu/agcollege/plantpathology/ext files/PPFShtml/ppfsagsg5.pdf 

Accessed on August 12, 2015. 

KLINE, 2002, 2004, 2012. 

Proprietary Data, 2004-2013. 

Warmish, Y. 2015. Rice - Fungicides. In Arkansas Plant Disease Control products Guide, T. 

Faske, ed. University of Arkansas, Division of Agriculture. 

https://www.uaex.edu/publications/pdf/mp 154/rice-diseases-fungicides. pdf 

Accessed on August 12, 2015. 

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