UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20460 

APR 0 7 2014 

MEMORANDUM 

OFFICE OF CHEMICAL SAFETY 

AND POLLUTION PREVENTION 

SUBJECT: Characterization of Fluazinam Use and Usage on Major Crops (mainly Potatoes 

and Peanuts) 

FROM: 

THRU: 

Tara Chandgoyal, Plant Pathologist 

Biological Analysis Branch 

Science 

Cynthia 

Information 

Doucoure, Environmental 

and Analysis Branch 

Protection Specialist t ~ 

Andrew Lee, Economist aj c · j 

Economic 

Biological 

Analysis 

and Economic 

Branch 

Analysis Division (750 ) 

~ 

Arnet Jones, Chief 

Biological Analysis Bran 

Diann Sims, Chief A.J~,C...~-"):"f-A'" ·..-v;v 

Science Information and Analysis Branch 

Timothy Kiely, Chief 0l Wl 

Economic Analysis Branch 

Biological and Economic Analysis vision (7503 

TO: Eric Miederhoff, Chemical Review Manager 

Risk Management and Implementation Branch V 

Pesticide Re-evaluation Division (7508P) 

Product Review Panel date: February 26, 2014 

Page 1 of7 
SUMMARY: 

Fluazinam fungicide was registered in 2000 for the control of fungal diseases on potatoes and 

peanuts. Subsequently, it has been registered for the control of fungal diseases on many other 

crops. Fluazinam plays a role in plant disease control on various crops and resistance 

management because its mode of action against fungi (uncouples the oxidative phosphorylation 

in respiration process of fungi) is different than the registered alternatives. However, when 

compared with other fungicide alternatives, it appears that fluazinam is a viable alternative for 

control of late blight on potatoes, but does not appear to play a major role in the control of white 

mold on potatoes or blight on peanuts. 

According to private market research, reported use of fluazinam on potatoes, peanuts, and other 

crops has declined since 2000. In the years from 2004 to 2012, the average percent crop treated 

(PCT) for use of fluazinam on potatoes was 15%, while the PCT for use on peanuts was less than 

2.5%. In recent years, an average of 57,000 pounds of fluazinam was applied annually on all 

crops. An average of 1.4 applications of fluazinam was applied on potatoes at an average 

application rate of 0.2 lbs a.i. per acre, while on peanuts, an average of 1.4 applications of 

fluazinam was applied at an average application rate of 0.5 lbs a.i. per acre (2007-2012). 

BACKGROUND: 

BEAD was asked to provide usage data to support the revision of the addendum to the 

Environmental Fate and Effects Division (EFED) risk assessment, which discusses the 

justification for using new studies that indicate a shorter half-life for foliar dissipation from 35 

days to 7.33 days and revises terrestrial risk quotients (RQs) for birds and mammals. BEAD was 

also asked to provide characterization of fluazinam use and usage on major crops and its role in 

pest control. 

FLUAZINAM USE AND USAGE CHARACTERIZATION: 

Fluazinam Labeled Use Sites: Fluazinam was initially registered for use on peanuts and 

potatoes in 2000. Several new uses were added from 2008-2012 as shown in Table 1 below. 

This document provides usage information only for the crops for which we have reported use as 

found in private market research surveys from 1998-2012, including potatoes, peanuts, beans 

(snap, bush, pole, and string), dry beans/peas, and lima beans. 

Page 2 of7 
T a e bl 1 Fl uazmam R . egtstere dU ses, 2008 -2012 

New Uses/Use Groups Date of Re2istration 

Edible -podded beans (Subgroup 6A, except peas), 3/27/2008 

shelled succulent, includes lima bean (Subgroup 6B, 

except peas), dry beans (Subgroup 6C, except peas 

and soybeans) brassica leafy vegetables including 

turnip greens (Crop Group 5), bushberries (Subgroup 

13-07B), ginseng, aerial use on potatoes 

Leaf and head lettuce and bulb onions 5/28/2010 

Apples and carrots 1131/2011 

Ornamental Turf 6/29/2012 

Melon subgroup 9A, eggplant/ peppers subgrou_I>_ lOB 11/1/2012 .. Source: Office of Pest1c1de Programs Information Network (OPPIN) 

Fluazinam Top Crops: Comparison of Usage in 2001-2006 and 2007-2012 

Potatoes and peanuts constituted 100% of the fluazinam usage in the U.S. during the 2001-2006 

time frame and nearly 90% of use during the 2007-2012 time. The average a.i. application rates 

are the same in both periods with fluazinam use on peanuts being applied at a higher rate than 

potatoes as shown in Table 2 below. Based on the available data, the number of applications of 

fluazinam on peanuts and potatoes decreased in recent years to 1.4 applications. 

BEAD did not find reported use of fluazinam on the remaining uses in part due to the recent 

dates of registration. 

Table 2. Fluazinam Top Crops: Comparison of Usage between the 2001-2006 and 2007-2012 

Timeframes. 

2001-2006 2007-2012 

A vg Annual Lbs A.l. Applied = 70,000 Avg Annual Lbs A.l. Applied= 57,000 

Crop Avg. A.I. #of Crop Avg. A.I. #of 

Proportion Rate of Apps Proportion Rate of Apps 

of Total Application of Total Application 

Lbs A.I. of Ob Lbs A.I. of Ob 

Fluazinam a.iJacre) Fluazinam a.iJacre) 

Applied Applied 

Peanuts 17% 0.5 1.8 Peanuts 19% 0.5 1.4 

Potatoes 83% 0.2 2.4 Potatoes 69% 0.2 1.4 

Other* 12% 0.3 0.3 

* Other crops include beans (snap, bush, pole, and string), dry beans/peas, and lima beans. 

Source: Propnetary Data, 2001-2012 

Page3 of7 
Fluazinam Percent of Crop Treated: Potatoes and Peanuts, 2004-2012 

Available data shows that during the 2004-2012 time frame, the average percent of crop treated 

for potatoes was 15%, while for peanuts, the average percent of crop treated was less than 2.5%. 

The average PCT for the remaining crops were all less than 2.5%. See Table 3 below. 

T a e bl 3 Fl uazmam p ercen t C T rop rea t e d , 2004 -2012 

2004-2012 

Crop Average Lbs AI AveragePCT MaxPCT 

Applied 

Peanuts 10,000 <2.5 5 

Potatoes 60,000 15 20 

Other 1 ,000 or less <2.5 <2.5 

Source: Propnetary Data 2004-2012 

BIOLOGICAL ANALYSIS: 

Fluazinam is labeled for controlling various fungal diseases on different crops (Table 1). The 

Fungicide Resistance Action Committee (FRAC, 2013) has designated fluazinam as FRAC Code 

29 (it is in -dinitro- anilines chemical group). It has a unique mode of action (it uncouples the 

oxidative phosphorylation in respiration process of fungi). It is considered as a low risk group for 

resistance-development in fungi. It appears that fluazinam plays an important role in resistance 

management. 

The top crop treated with fluazinam is potatoes to control late blight disease and white mold 

disease. There are 42 fungicides reported to be used on potatoes for the control of late blight and 

7 fungicides reported are used against white mold (Proprietary Data, 2007-2012). The top 

fungicides used to control late blight and white mold are shown in Tables 4 and 5 below. The 

available usage data show that as much as 15 percent of potato acreage is treated with fluazinam 

(Table 3), a relatively high proportion that suggests a large number of growers find the chemical 

useful. The available data also suggests that fluazinam plays a role in resistance management 

because its mode of action is different than the registered alternatives on these crops and it has a 

low risk of developing resistance. 

Fluazinam is also used to control Sclerotinia blight disease in peanuts. There are 13 fungicides 

reported to be used on peanuts to control peanut blight (Proprietary Data, 2007-2012). See Table 

6 below. The available usage data shows that less than 2.5 percent of peanut acreage is treated 

with fluazinam (Table 3), a relatively low proportion that suggests that growers do not find the 

chemical as useful as other fungicides, but it may play a role in resistance management because 

of its mode of action. 

Page 4 of7 
Table 4. Top Fungicides Used on Potatoes to Control Late Blight, 2007-2012 

Total Avg. 

Pounds Area Numof 

Actbe_l· ~~ent AI · Treated Apps 

CHLOROTHALONll.. 10,960,000 12,481,000 4.8 

MANCOZEB 8,110,000 6,815,000 3.0 

CYMOXANll.. 103,000 934,000 1.2 

METIRAM 1,263,000 905,000 2.8 

PYRACLOSTROBIN 114,000 902,000 1.5 

AZOXYSTROBIN 100,000 773,000 1.4 

BOSCALID 169,000 741,000 1.4 

FE NT IN 87,000 690,000 1.8 

FAMOXADONE 67,000 630,000 1.1 

MANDIPROP AMID 61,000 595,000 1.4 

DIFENOCONAZOLE 59,000 583,000 1.4 

FLUAZINAM 91,000 418,000 1.3 

OTHER 1,260,202 2,137,230 

Source: Proprietary Data, 2007-2012 

T a e bl 5 T F . op ung1c1 "d es U se d on P otatoes to c ontro 1 White Mold, 2007-2012 -· 

Totid Avg. 

Pounds Area_ Numof 

Active ~~ent AI Treated ~pps_ 

CHLOROTHALONll.. 106,000 141,000 11.6 

CYMOXANll.. 1,000 13,000 1.0 

FAMOXADONE 1,000 13,000 1.0 

COPPER HYDROXIDE 13,000 11,000 7.5 

MANCOZEB 8,000 9,000 2.4 

METIRAM 10,000 6,000 2.0 

FLUAZINAM 82 418 1.0 

Source: Proprietary Data, 2007-2012 

PageS of7 
Table 6. Top Fungicides Used on Peanuts to Control Blight, 20 07-2012 

Pounds Total Area Avg.Num 

Active IUKa~ent AI Treated ofApps 

TEBUCONAZOLE 12,000 77,000 3.5 

PROPICONAZOLE 5,000 64,000 2.3 

CHLOROTHALONIL 60,000 61,000 2.2 

PROTIDOCONAZOLE 4,000 56,000 3.8 

FLUTOLANIL 13,000 36,000 4.0 

PYRACLOSTROBIN 6,0001 33,000 1.2 

TRIFLOXYSTROBIN 1,000 17,000 1.3 

AZOXYSTROBIN 900 14,000 1.0 

MEFENOXAM 40 10,000 1.0 

FLUDIOXONIL 30 7,000 1.0 

BOSCALID 2,000 4,000 1.2 

FLUAZINAM 2,000 3,000 1.0 

PENTIDOPYRAD 300 1,000 3.0 

Source: Proprietary Data, 2007-2012 

CONCLUSION: 

Fluazinam is used on potatoes and peanut to control fungal diseases, especially late blight in 

potato and blight in peanut. As much as 15 percent of potato acreage is treated with fluazinam, a 

relatively high proportion that suggests a large number of growers find the chemical useful. 

However, there are many fungicides that are used more widely to control blight. Fluazinam 

plays a role in resistance management because its mode of action is different than the registered 

alternatives on these crops and it has a low risk of resistance developing. Use of fluazinam on 

other crops, including beans (snap, bush, pole, and string), dry beans/peas, and lima beans 

constitute only 12% of usage of fluazinam in recent years. 

Data on the use of fluazinam on other crops, including beans, apples, and carrots, are not 

available given how recently fluazinam was registered for these sites. 

REFERENCES: 

Brandenburg, RL., Jordan, DL., Shew, BB., Wilcut, JW. And Toth, SJ. 2005. Crop Profile for 

Peanuts in North Carolina. Accessed on February 11, 2014. 

http://www.ipmcenters.org/cropprofiles/docs/ncpeanuts.pdf 

FRAC. 2013. Accessed on February 4, 2014. 

http://www.frac.info/publication/anhang!FRAC%20Code%20List%202013-update%20April2013.pdf . 

. ~ 

Page 6 of7 
Luper, C., Criswell, JT., Bolin, P., Medlin, C., Mulder, P and bamicone, J. 2007. Crop Profile 

for Peanuts in Oklahoma. Accessed February 10, 2014. 

http://www .ipmcenters.org/cropprofiles/docs/0 Kpeanuts.pdf 

Proprietary Data, 2001-2012 

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