Some uses cancelled and new label instructions to be implemented. Ottawa-Agricultural uses of imidacloprid pesticides can continue although the horticulture sector will have to phase out many of them during the next two years, Health Canada has decided. The department said a thorough evaluation of “available scientific information found that most uses of imidacloprid products meet current standards for protection of human health and the environment and have acceptable value when used according to revised conditions of registration, which includes new mitigation measures.” Cancellations due to potential environmental risks include some seed treatments for corn and soybeans as well as direct field seeding of brassica vegetables such as broccoli and cabbage, leafy vegetables like lettuce and in-furrow application on brassica, leafy, and root and tuber vegetables including potatoes. Other uses being phased out include soil drench application on brassica, leafy, and root and tuber vegetables, except sugar beets, and on tray plug drench application on leafy vegetables as well turf and lowbush blueberries. As well upgraded personal protection equipment must be provided to workers applying or entering areas where the pesticides have been sprayed. Pierre Petelle, President and CEO, CropLife Canada, said his organization would be conducting a full evaluation of the Health Canada announcement but that in many cases imidacloprids can be used without posing unacceptable risks. “Unfortunately in some cases, specifically in the horticulture sector, many uses will be restricted, and in some instances, removed entirely. “We are fortunate to have a vibrant horticulture industry in Canada that produces a wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables from coast to coast. The pest challenges for this sector are tremendous and every lost tool is a serious blow to competitiveness and to the sector's sustainability,” he said. He also welcomed the fact science prevailed in the review of the three types of neonic pesticides used in Canada when it appeared in 2016 that a complete ban would be imposed. During the ensuing consultation on the pesticides, “registrants and stakeholders provided the department with significant amounts of additional high-quality data, which appear to have helped the agency make risk-based decisions based less on assumptions and more on real-world data.” Health Canada said pesticide manufacturers will have to update labels not already revised since a Guidance Document issued in 2019. To protect the environment, additional risk-reduction measures will have to be added to the product labels including spray buffer zones to mitigate risks from spray drift and information on the potential toxic effects to sensitive biota. The new policy will also impose additional restrictions for use of treated seed, including revisions to seed disposal instructions and the prohibition of broadcast seeding of treated seed. The transition period “will allow for an orderly and safe implementation of these new restrictions and should reduce the risk of product misuse or the improper disposal of products as users switch to alternatives, where required. The risks identified are not considered imminent and serious because they are not expected to cause irreversible harm over these phase-out periods.” Alex Binkley is a freelance journalist and writes for domestic and international publications about agriculture, food and transportation issues. He's also the author of two science fiction novels with more in the works.