Prairie farmers are losing an effective fungicide control for canola with the voluntary withdrawal of Benlate from the market, says an Alberta Agriculture plant disease scientist.
“It did a good job. It was a good fungicide,” said Ieuan Evans with the agronomy unit in Edmonton.
“It did an excellent job, yet the company didn’t see fit to continue with it.”
In April, DuPont announced it would stop manufacturing its fungicide benomyl and phase out sales of Benlate. No sales will occur after Dec. 31, 2001, and no product is expected to be left in circulation by the end of 2002.
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“A significant element of the reason to withdraw is that the company is no longer willing to bear the high and continuing costs of defending the product in the U.S. legal system where factors other than good science can influence outcomes,” said James Borel, vice-president and general manager of DuPont Crop Protection Products, in a News release
news.
The company has been served with several hundred lawsuits in connection with the 1991 recall of Benlate 50 DF fungicide. About 120 cases are pending. The Delaware company said it has spent $1.3 billion on legal fees and settlements so far related to Benlate.
JoAnne Buth, vice-president of crop production with the Canola Council of Canada in Winnipeg, said a recent survey of prairie farmers found about 15 percent applied fungicide to canola.
In Canada, Benlate was used mainly for sclerotinia control in canola. The fungus is most prevalent in high-moisture areas like the Red River Valley of Manitoba and through central Alberta.
Only producers who expected to have a high yield were likely to use the product, which costs about $20 an acre, including aerial application.
Farmers are not without effective alternatives. Ronilan and Rovral Flo are registered for use on canola and are a similar price.
Evans said because the company is voluntarily pulling the product, it has the option of bringing it back.
“It’s not proven to have problems associated with it … perhaps if they put it on the shelf they may introduce it in the future.”
