Mary-Ann Warmerdam Director

Arnold Schwarzenegger
Governor

CALIFORNIA AUTHORIZATION FOR PESTICIDE USE UNDER USEPA SECTION 18 SPECIFIC EXEMPTION FOR DISTRIBUTION AND USE ONLY WITHIN CALIFORNIA

Pursuant to authority granted under Section 18 of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act and 40 CFR, Part 166, approval is granted to use the pesticide shown below to control specified emergency.

Location: Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Marin, Napa, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Sonoma and Tulare Counties.

Crop/Site/Commodity:  Grapes (raisin, table and wine)

Target Pest/Problem:  Vine Mealybug (VMB) (Planococcus ficus)

Dosage:   Apply 250 dispensers per acre (approximately one dispenser per 2-4 vines, depending on plant density) equivalent to 25 grams of active ingredient (A.I.) per acre. Make 1-2 applications per season.

Dilution Rate:  N/A

Method of application:   Ground only. Apply dispensers by hand to thumb-sized canes with secure placement. Place dispensers in the upper one-third of the vine foliage or even higher. If there is a persistent wind from a prevalent direction, apply one dispenser to every vine on the upwind side of the vineyard and then evenly distribute the remaining dispensers in the block.

Frequency/Timing of Applications:   Date of first application: April 15, 2008 or later
Last date of second application: September 29, 2008
The initial application should be made sometime between April 15-May 31, depending on the location of the vineyard.  For best results, apply at the time of or shortly before the mealybugs begin to emerge in the spring or when the males are first detected in pheromone traps.  The local farm advisor should be contacted for assistance in determining the optimum time period to make the initial application.  The second application can be applied as needed.

Restricted Entry Interval (REI):  4 hours

Preharvest Interval (PHI):  N/A

Effective Date:   April 15, 2008

Expiration Date:   September 30, 2008

Other Requirements:

1. Applicators and other handlers must wear work clothing consisting of long-sleeved shirt and long pants, shoes and socks.  In addition the following Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) must be worn:
   
   Chemical resistant gloves and protective eyewear.
   
   
2. A maximum of 100,000 acres can be treated.
3. The CheckMate® VMB Dispenser functions by disrupting the mating behavior of the VMB. Over time, the Dispenser releases a synthesized copy of the VMB sex pheromone, which prevents the flying male mealybug from finding a receptive female. This pheromone has no effect on females, eggs or immature nymphs. If the application is made after the initial spring mating flight or later in the growing season, the vineyard must be treated with an insecticide treatment that will effectively control hatching VMB until egg laying by previously mated females has ceased to occur.
4. The CheckMate® VMB Dispenser is intended for use in an integrated pest management (IPM) program that relies on a combination of control methods to control this pest. A single spring application of the CheckMate® Dispenser will probably not provide adequate season long control except in lightly infested vineyards. In vineyards that are moderately to heavily infested with VMB, supplemental insecticide applications may be necessary to provide adequate protection of the developing fruit. These treatments should be based on trap monitoring, field scouting, and appropriate degree-day models for the local growing area and must be timed to control the emerging VMB. The status of the infestation should be monitored through the growing season with pheromone trapping and visual inspection of the vines and developing fruit.
5. Do not handle other types of insect lures before or after lure placement without thoroughly washing hands. Reseal containers immediately after use. Store unused product in a refrigerator or freezer not used for food storage. Do not use dispensers from damaged, punctured or unsealed containers.
6. Place flight monitoring pheromone traps in vineyard before making CheckMate® VMB Dispenser treatment.
7. The importation and distribution of this unregistered pheromone pesticide is permitted in accordance with the terms of this specific exemption. However, any unused, unregistered product must be returned to the manufacturer or distributor (unopened containers) or disposed of in accordance with Reserve Conservation and Recovery Act regulations following the expiration of this exemption.
8. The active ingredient is exempt from the requirements of a tolerance under 40 CFR 180.1124. All inert (other) ingredients are exempt from the requirements of a tolerance under 40 CFR 180.1122.

AGRICULTURAL USE REQUIREMENTS: Use this product only in accordance with its labeling and with the Worker Protection Standard, 40 CFR part 170. This Standard contains requirements for protection of agricultural workers on farms, forests, nurseries, and greenhouses and handlers of agricultural pesticides. It contains requirements for training, decontamination, notification, and emergency assistance. It also contains specific instructions and exceptions pertaining to the statements on this label about personal protective equipment (PPE) and restricted-entry intervals. The requirements in this paragraph only apply to uses of this product that are covered by the Worker Protection Standard.
Do not enter or allow worker entry into treated areas during the restricted entry interval (REI) of 4 hours.
Workers entering treated areas before the REI was expired must wear work clothing consisting of long-sleeved shirt and long pants, shoes and socks.
PPE required for early entry to treated areas that is permitted under the Worker Protection Standard and that involves contact with anything that has been treated, such as plants, soil, or water, is:
Chemical resistant gloves
Protective eyewear

All applicable directions, restrictions, and precautions on the Suterra product label (CA. REG. NO. 56336-08004-EE) and these use directions must be followed.

The Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR), Pesticide Registration Branch, shall be immediately informed of any adverse effects resulting from the use of this exemption.

Please note: The United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) expects concerned growers or grower groups to work toward the registration of use patterns that may be needed on a continuing basis.  It will, therefore, be necessary to require applicants wishing to renew emergency exemptions to provide a progress report on residue tolerance and registration along with request for re-issuance of an emergency exemption.

Without substantial progress in pursuing a registration for the use in question, it will be difficult to obtain an emergency exemption for another season.  The pesticide manufacturer or Western Region IR-4 may be contacted regarding the initiation of a pesticide petition for residue tolerance.

A final report must be submitted by the county agricultural commissioner to the Pesticide Registration Branch within 45 days of the expiration date of this exemption.  This report must include the following information:

1. Amount of product used..
2. Units (i.e., acres, trees, cattle) treated.
3. Number of applications.
4. Estimate of effectiveness.
5. Any adverse effects noted.

Prior to use under this exemption, a permit must be obtained from the county agricultural commissioner.  The permit shall state the maximum number of acres to be treated, maximum amount of product that may be applied, and dealer from which the product may be purchased.  The purchaser (permittee) or purchaser’s (permittee’s) agent must provide the seller, or person delivering the restricted material, a copy of the permit on the date the restricted material is delivered.  The dealer shall maintain a record of each sale, which shall be made available to representatives of DPR or county agricultural commissioner upon request.  Such records shall include the date of sale or delivery, permit number, identity and amount of product purchased, and the name of the purchaser.

All applications of this material shall be made by or under the supervision of a certified applicator certified for this category of pest control.
Agricultural pest control businesses shall submit a pesticide use report to the county agricultural commissioner within seven days of each treatment.  Growers who apply this material shall submit a pesticide use report to the county agricultural commissioner by the 10th day of the month following the month in which the applications are made.  The county agricultural commissioner in cooperation with the Pesticide Registration Branch, will monitor the use of the product under this exemption and will prepare a written report describing any unusual or adverse effects attributable to this use.

This is Not an Authorized Label

Andrew Yokoyama
Agricultural Program Supervisor II
Pesticide Registration Branch
(916) 324-3914
E-mail: ayokoyama@cdpr.ca.gov