UNITF.() STATES E:'i'V!RO:'lliMENTAL. PROTECTIO:'lli AGENCY

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20460

DEC1 3 2010

OffICE Of CHH.tICAL SAfETY

ASO POLLUTION PREVE"''''IO''

MEMORANDUM

SUBJECT:

FROM:

THRU:

TO:

BEAD Chemical Profile for Registration Review: Ethaltluralin

Kaitlin Rienzo-Stack, Biologist..(..~l Biologica l Analysis Branch \~

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Kathe

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Branch

Michelle Ranville, Economist

Economic Analy sis Branch

Biological and Economic Analysis Division (7503P)

Amet Jones, Chief f:J. """"~/ftn-.- ....... Biological Analysis Branch l(-

Diann Sims. Chief

Science Information and Analysis Branch

Timothy Kiely, Chief 51 AA( Economic Analysis Branch \ ,v\ V

Biological and Economic Analy .s Division (750 P)

Kelly Ballard. Chemical Review Manage r

Pesticide Reevaluation Division (7508P)

Peer Revi ew Panel date: August 25, 2010

INTRODUCTION

The purpose ofthis document is to convey usage information and a broad overview of the pest

management roles of pesticides that are beginning to undergo registration review. The

anticipated audience consists of the team of EPA staff currently evaluating the registration status

of ethalfluralin, and eventually the general public. This document builds upon the data already
provided in the "Usage and Label Use Data Packages" that are also provided to Registration

Review teams by BEAD.

Ethalfluralin is an herbicide used for preemergence control of certain annual grasses and

broadleaf weeds in canola, crambe, cucumbers, dry beans and peas, melons, pean uts, pumpkins.

safflower, squash, soy beans, sunflowers, and potatoes.

Ethalfluralin is a K1/3 grou p herbi cide used to contro l a broad range of annual grasses and

broadleaf weed pests via root growt h inhibition.

USE SITES

Canota, crambe. cucumbers. dry beans and peas, melons. peanuts. pumpkins, safflower, squash.

soybeans, sunflowers. and potatoes.

There are also several special local needs (SLN) registrations for alfalfa and clover grO""TI for

seed (WY), alfalfa grown for seed (WA, OR, !D, MT, NV), dill grown for oil (WA), mustard

(ND), and lentils (ND, MT).

COMMON FORMULATIONS AND APPLICATION METHODS

Ethalfluralin is formulated as an emulsifiable concentrate (usually diluted with glycols or other

such emulsifiers) or granular formulation .

Etha lflurali n may be applied as a soil band or broadcast treatment with a low pressure ground

sprayer. Other treatments include soil incorporation treatment, impregnated dry bulk fertilizer

treatm ent, and chemigation.

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USAGE

Based on private market survey data from 2006-2008 , the annual agricultural usage averaged

approximately 1.3 million pounds for 1.5 million acres (GfK Kynetec, 2006-2008 ).

From 2006-2008, the largest markets in terms of total pounds of active ingredient applied were:

Dry beans/peas, sunflowers, pean uts, cucumbers, and watermelons (Figure I and Table 1).

These crops were also the highest in terms ofthe total area treated.

- Or)' Beans/Peas • Sunflowe rs 0 Peanuts 0 Cucurmers • w arcercjons IJ Other

Figure I. Pounds AI Applied for Major Agricultural Markets

Source: GtK Kynerec, 2006-2008

T bl 1 Ta e . tvmcaI U P s. atterns for Mar'or A\2r1'cultural Markcts (2006-2008)

Average

App lication Average

Rate Number of

(Pounds/A) Aoolications

Dry beans/pe as 0.9 1

Sunflowers 1.0 1

Peanuts 0.7 1

Cucum bers 0.7 1

Watermelons 0.8 1

Source. GfK Kynetec, 2006-200 8

The states with the most agric ultural usage in terms of pounds AI applied are : North Dakota,

Georgia , So uth Dakota, Idaho, Minnesota, Alabama, Michigan, and Nebraska (Figure 2). Th ese

states also ranked similarly in terms of the total area treated.

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NORTH DAKOTA

• GEORGIA

o SOUTH DA KOTA

o IDAlia

• M INNESOTA

lA

Cli G\

DI'fBRASKA

. O her

Figure 2. States with Highest Use- Percent of Total Lbs Al Applied

Source: GfK Kynelec, 2006 ·2008

USE TRENDS

The historical usage data provided in this section has not been analyzed in detail and is provided

for preliminary seoping purposes only, to convey a broad overview of ethalfluralin at the

beginning ofthe registrat ion review process. In general, ethaltl uralin use declined in the early

20oo's and has remained fairly stable in recent years (Figure 3). The decline in usage was

primari ly due to a reduction in use on sunflowers and soybeans.

·tOOO.OOO r- ------------------- ~--- -___,

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

II Dry beans . Sunflowers 0 Peanuts 0 Soybeans • Cucumbers . Other

Figure 3. Pounds Al Applied

Source: GtK Kynetec, 1998-2008
BIOLOGICAL ASPECTS RELEVANT TO ETHALFLURALIN

Ethalfluralin is applied pre-plant alone or in tank mixe s wi th chemicals such as EPTC (also an

herbicide) to control a broad array of weeds befo re or at gennination by inhibitin g root growth.

The largest use of ethalfluraJin is in dry bean crops to control multiple nightshade species, wi ld

oat, and common lambsquaners (Glogoza et al., 1999; Fuchs and Hirnyck, 2000). In sunflower,

ethalfluralin is a widely used herbicide (GfK Kynetec). It is used to control annual grasses,

foxtail. and some broad leaf weeds. Ethalfluralin is used to control a similar pest spectrum in

soybean and pean uts, (La prade et al., 2000; Potter and Ostlie, 2003). There is uncertainty about

current usage , because the available data are 5 to 10 years old.

Ethalfluralin is catego rized as a K1/3 herbicide in the dinitroaniline chemical family; its mode of

action (MoA) is characterized by microtubule assembly inhibition in weed pests. There are three

documented incidences of weeds resistant to ethalfl uralin in the International Survey of

Herbicide Resistant Weeds (Table 2). None of the reported incidents of ethalflura lin resistant

weeds were in the USA or within the past 17 years. There are a total of 10 documented

incidences of resistant weeds worldwide for the K1/3 herbicide class from 1973 until the present

(WSSA 2010). The EPA Office of Pesticide's Section 6(a)(2) database adverse effects reports

also contain no reports of laboratory or field weed resistance to ethalfluralin.

T ba l 2 e , Substa nn ated re ports 0 f et a h In urarIn resrstant weed,

Incident Year Location Crans Resistant Weed

\ 1982 Australia barley, wheat Rigid rvegrass (Lolium rigidum

2 199 \ Canada canota, flax, wheat Green foxta il (Setaria viridls]

3 1992 Canada barley, cano la, flax, wheat Green foxtail {Setaria viridist

Source: WSSA 20I0

HISTORY OF BEAO ASSESSMENTS FOR ETHALFLURALIN

Ethaltluralin has not been the subject of any risk mitigation impact assessments developed by

BEAD. However, from 1997 to 2001, there were emergency exemption (Section 18) requests

from Montana, Minnesota, and North Dakota for canola, crambe, and safflower. I Kochia was

the primary weed targeted for all of these sites, although wild buckwheat was also a concern in

1997, with both Montana and North Dakot a receiving crisis exemptions for the use of

ethaltluralin on canola. See Attachment A for a list of BEAD 's completed assessments of these

requests.

DATA NEEDS RELEVANT TO BEAD'SFUTURE WORK ON ETHALFLURALI N

Additional information on the use ofethalfluralin on the follo wing crops would improve future

BEAD assessments of ethalfluralin and may be required as part of the registration review of this

pesticide: crambe, safflower, dill, mustard, and lentils. Also, as mentioned above, much of the

available data characterizing usage of ethaltluralin in crop production is several years old and

may not reflect changes in use patte rns.

I Crops grown for oil.

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REFERENCES

Environme ntal Protection Agency (EPA). 2010. Section 18 Action Database. Available at:

hn p:/tcfpubl .epa.gov/oppref/section IS/search.cfrn. Retrieved 8/18/1O.

Fuchs. Samuel and Ronda Himyck 2000. Crop Profile for Dry Beans in Idaho. Availab le at:

hnp://\\'\\'w.ipmcenters.orglcropprofiles/docsJlDDr...Bean s.pdf Retrieved 8/15 /10.

GfK Kynetec. 1998-2008. Proprietary Data.

Glogoza. Phillip; Duane Berglund; Ken Grafton ; Art Lame y; Richard Zollinger; and Tim

Co umeya. 1999. Crop Profile for Beans (Dry Edible) in North Dakota. Avail able at:

hnp ://\\v.w .ipmcenters.orglcropprofilesldocslnd beans-drvedible.pdf. Reineyed 8/15/1O.

LaPrade, Jesse; James Weeks; Glenn Wehtje; Austin Hagan, Geoffrey Zehnder, Dallas Hartzog;

and Jerry Crews. 2000. Crop Profile for Peanuts in Alabama. Available at:

hnp://\\v,'w.ipmcent ers.org/CropProtiles/docs/alpcanuts.pdf Retrieved 8/15/10.

Potter, Bruce and Ken Ostlie. 2003. Crop Profile for Soybean in Minnesota. Available at:

http://www.ip mcentcrs.org/CropProfiles/docsIMNSoybeans.pdf. Retrieved 8/15/1O.

Thomas, John; Gary Hcin; and Shripat Kamble. 2003 . Crop Profile for Sunflowers in Nebras ka.

Available at http://www.ipmcenters.orglcropprofiles/docsINEsunflowcrs.pdf Retrieved

8/15/1O.

USDA National Agricultural Statistics Servi ce (NASS). Available at:

http ://w\\w.pcstmanagernent.info/nass/act dsp usage multiple.cfrn. Retrieved 8/15/10.

Weed Science Society of America (WSSA).lnternational Survey of Herbicide-Resistant Weeds.

Available at: http://\\'\\w .v.'eedscience.org/In.asp . Retrieved 8/ 15/10.

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ATTACHMENT A: EMERGENCY EXEMPTION REQUESTS FOR ETHAFLURALIN

Source: EPA (20 1O)

DP

Site Pes' Stat e Dat e Response Response Barcode(s)

Rece ived Date for BEAD

assessmen ts

CANOLA WILD MONTANA 2/13/ 1997 111711997 WITHDRAW N

BUCKWH EAT

CANOLA WILD MONTANA 5/21/1997 5/2 111997 CRISIS

BUCKWHEAT APPROVED 0 233497

CANOLA WILD NORTH 512 11 1997 512 1/1997 CRISIS

BUCKWHEAT DAKOTA APPROVED

CANOLA WILD MONTANA 7/29/ 1997 1115/ 1997 DENIED

BUCKWHEAT 01 13101

CANOLA KOCHIA NORTH 919/1998 3130/1999 ISSUED NO:

DAKOTA D2503 11&02

CANOLA KOCHIA M INNESOTA 9/ 1111998 3/30/1999 ISSUED 503 12; MN:

0 2503 16& 0 2

503 17

CANOLA KOCHIA MONTANA 1012711998 313011999 ISSUED

CRAMBE KOCHIA NORTH 5/5/1999 6/10/ 1999 DENIED 0 256353,

DAKOTA D256355

CANOLA KOCIII A NORTH 12/16/ 1999 41712000 ISSUED

DAKOTA 0 26414 8.

CANOLA KOCHIA MONTANA 1/612000 4n 12000 ISSUED 0 164 149,

CANOLA KOCHIA MINNESOTA 1/2112000 4n l2000 ISSUED D264150

CRAMBE KOCHIA NO RTH 212312000 3/112000 WITHDRA WN

DAKO TA

CANOLA KOC HIA MONTAN A 21712001 211512001 WITHDRAWN

CANOLA KOC HIA NORT H 211412001 211512001 WITHDRAWN

DAKO TA

SAFFLO WE R KOCHIA NO RT H 211412001 412512001 ISSUED 0 212119,

DAKOTA 0 272780

CANOLA KOCHIA MINN ESOTA 2/27/2001 4/131200I ISSUED

CANOLA KOCHIA MONT AN A 2/27/200 1 4/1312001 ISSUED

CANOLA KOCHIA North Dakota 2127/200 1 4/1312001 ISSUED

SAFFLOWER KOCHIA MONTA NA 3/1912001 412512001 ISSUED D273685,

D273684 .

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