Local Cotton Growers Receive Section 18 Exemptions for TOPGUARD® Fungicide

Cheminova, Inc. announced the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has granted state specific exemptions under Section 18 of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act to the Arizona Department of Agriculture, and the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry, for the use of TOPGUARD® Fungicide to control cotton root rot in cotton. This means cotton growers in both states can use TOPGUARD to manage cotton root rot problems for the 2014 season.

“TOPGUARD is the only fungicide known to protect cotton plants from cotton root rot and the EPA has granted this emergency use for cotton growers in Texas for the past three years,” said Deneen Sebastian, Director of Marketing, Cheminova, Inc. “Cheminova is glad to see growers in Arizona and Oklahoma also receiving this exemption to provide them with greater success in managing this disease.”

TOPGUARD may be applied at planting either as a T-Band application or Modified In-Furrow. For T-Band it is applied in a concentrated 3-4 inch wide band at planting perpendicular to row direction after furrow opening and seed placement, but prior to furrow closure. For Modified In-Furrow, TOPGUARD is applied using a splitter/Y shaped application mechanism or seed firmer that directs the product on the sides of the seed furrow and not in direct contact with the seed.