ICON residues in water samples taken from suspect fields and ditches were well below the LC 50 determined for crawfish. Collectively, these findings in 1999 indicated that although ICON could cause crawfish mortality, it was doubtful that the product was solely responsible for the low production many Louisiana producers were experiencing. The recent observations indicate that questions about ICON and crawfish remain. A number of studies are, or shortly will be, underway to answer questions that have surfaced as a result of the surveys and sampling activities. Because the data will not be available for sometime and preliminary sampling data suggest lower populations in fields planted with ICON-treated seed, producers who have used or plan to use ICON and follow with crawfish should be cautioned that conclusive data are not available.
ICON appears to be very effective for the purpose it was designed for controlling rice water weevil.
Most observations indicate that ICON certainly was a contributing factor in the excellent rice yields seen in southwest Louisiana last growing season. With depressed prices for rice, management tools that can increase or help attain profitability are desperately needed. The continued viability of both rice and crawfish producers in Louisiana has been and remains a major mission of the LSU AgCenter.