What's the Deal with Chlorpyrifos?

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• Chlorpyrifos is an organophosphate insecticide 
• The EPA will pull all residue tolerances for chlorpyrifos
• In spring 2022 we will not be able to use this insecticide in food / feed / forage crops

On August 18th, 2021, the EPA announced that it will be revoking all tolerances for Chlorpyrifos.  Chlorpyrifos is an organophosphate (OP) insecticide, which are neurotoxins that are extremely toxic not only to insects but also to humans and non-target organisms.  These insecticides work by preventing the neurotransmitter acetylcholine from being degraded, resulting in constant and uncontrolled firing of neurons and eventual paralysis and death.  The adverse effects of chlorpyrifos on humans and the environment ultimately is the reason that this chemical will no longer be able to be used on food crops in the near future. Below are some key points to keep in mind with the new law.

1. Numerous products that contain chlorpyrifos will be affected. Examples include standalone products such as Lorsban®, Hatchet®, Vulcan®, and premix products such as Bolton™ and Cobalt® Advanced.  
2. Producers and applicators will be able to use products containing chlorpyrifos for the remainder of 2021.  Tolerances for the chemical will be official, and therefore the use of chlorpyrifos illegal, six months after the EPA notifies the World Trade Organization that tolerances have been revoked.  We should expect this to take place around March of 2022, barring unforeseen circumstances.  
    

There are numerous alternative products that can be used for insect management, many of which are just as effective and less toxic than chlorpyrifos.  Now is a good time to review how this ruling will impact your production and management plans and determine what alternatives to look towards in the future.        
 

References

Recognition and Management of Pesticide Poisonings: Sixth Edition.  2013.  Chapter 5- Organophosphates. https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/documents/rmpp_6thed_ch5_organophosphates.pdf  Accessed 9/5/21

Unglesbee, E. 2021.  EPA to Ban Chlorpyrifos in Ag. https://www.dtnpf.com/agriculture/web/ag/crops/article/2021/08/18/epa-ban-chlorpyrifos-use-food-crops Accessed 9/6/21

Koch, R. , Cira, T., Mann, R., Potter, B., Hanson, A.  2021.  Environmental Protection Agency’s Cancellation of Chlorpyrifos Tolerances: Alternatives for Management of Key Crop Pests.  https://blog-crop-news.extension.umn.edu/2021/08/environmental-protection-agencys.html.  Accessed 9/4/21