By KEVIN WALKER
Michigan Correspondent

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Dow AgroSciences announced last month that a pesticide chemistry it discovered, spinosad, has been approved by the European Union (EU) to be in its organic listing.

“Approval of spinosad by the EU for use in organic agriculture is a noteworthy regulatory milestone,” said Ken Racke, U.S. regulatory manager for insecticides at Dow in a news release last month. “It reflects a growing international consensus regarding the excellent fit of the molecule for organic production systems.”

Organic crops treated with Entrust and GF-120 NF, which are Dow AgroSciences brands containing spinosad, can now be exported into the EU and sold under the EU organic logo, provided the crops meet the existing maximum residue level requirements.

“The significance of this latest development is the greatest for California producers,” said Amanda Powell, a spokeswoman for Dow.

According to Dow’s own literature, Entrust helps reach difficult-to-control pests, such as leafminers. It also controls many foliage-feeding pests, including worms and caterpillars, Colorado potato beetles and thrips. Entrust is available for use on many vegetables, tree fruits and nuts and small fruit crops such as tomatoes, peppers, strawberries, cole crops, peaches, citrus and apples.

GF-120 NF attracts and controls multiple species of tephritid fruit flies infesting various tree, fruit, nut, vine and vegetable crops as well as ornamentals. This organic listing will clear the way for U.S. packers and shippers to compete in the international market, increasing marketing opportunities.

“It’s a big deal,” said Dwain Morton, a sales representative for Dow based in California. “If you don’t have a product established as an organic in some countries, they’re going to turn it down.”

He said that’s what happened last year to some California producers who sent some of their product to Europe, not realizing that Entrust had not yet been certified as organic. Because of this, their export was not accepted, and they took a real loss.

“The organic market is growing by leaps and bounds,” Morton said. He estimates this market has grown 15-20 percent per year over the past four to five years.

“Entrust is really the best worm material in the entire organic market, no doubt about it,” he said. Its powdered form ensures that Entrust can be registered organic, in addition to the fact that it hasn’t been chemically modified.

Although Dow discovered spinosad, products containing this chemistry are manufactured and distributed by other companies. Eleven different products containing spinosad are listed at the Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI), a national nonprofit that determines which input products are allowed for use in organic production and processing.

OMRI listed or approved products may be used on operations that are certified organic under the USDA’s National Organic Program. Most of these products are manufactured and distributed by Dow AgroSciences – including, for example, a number of fire ant insecticides. These include Entrust and Conserve brands.

Other companies that sell spinosad containing products include the Schultz Co., which produces Garden Safe Brand Fire Ant Killer Ready to Use Granules; the Green Light Co., which produces and distributes its own brand of fire ant control; Lawn and Garden Products, Inc., which produces Monterey Garden Pest Spray; and the Woodstream Corp., which produces the Safer brand of fire ant spray.

Not all products containing spinosad are considered organic, however. The Pesticide Action Network of North America, based in San Francisco, Calif., lists 45 products containing spinosad under 27 different EPA registration numbers. Some are manufactured and distributed by companies other than Dow, including the FMC Corp., Elanco Animal Health and Bayer CropScience.