Mancozeb receives Annex 1 listing

UK - June 17, 2005

Mancozeb, the protectant fungicide for use in potatoes, cereals, rape and a wide range of other crops, has received a positive listing for Annex 1 under the EU agrochemical registration Directive (91/414) by the EU Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health (SCFA).

"This positive decision for its inclusion into Annex 1 is an important milestone and bodes well for the future of mancozeb throughout the EU.  This important fungicide can now go forward for country re-registration," explains John Sellars, Marketing Specialist for Dow AgroSciences who manufacture mancozeb.

Mancozeb, marketed as Dithane, is recognised as a vital protectant fungicide that gives high levels of protection against potato blight, which is a devastating disease across Europe, as well as the control of many diseases in cereals, oilseed rape and other crops.  It is particularly important as an alternative, multi-sited fungicide and it is the key element of resistance management programmes against late blight and increasingly so in cereals, either as a straight product or in coformulation.  There is no known resistance to mancozeb, even after many years of widespread usage.  Mancozeb continues to be in demand by growers and is regarded as one of the most cost-effective protectant products on the market. 
 
The SCFA recommendation for Annex 1 inclusion was based on an extensive 10-year scientific assessment which concluded that mancozeb fulfils the safety requirements laid down in the Plant Protection Directive (91/414/EEC).  Following endorsement by the full European Commission, it will be published as a Commission Directive in the Official Journal later in 2005.

Dithane NT contains 75% mancozeb, formulated as a New Technology Water Dispersible Granule.  The dose rate for Dithane NT on potatoes is 2 kg/ha, with the option of a lower rate of 1.7 kg/ha when blight risk is low.  It has spray intervals of 7,10 or 14 days and a harvest interval of 7 days.  In terms of practicality, Dithane NT has no LERAP restrictions, rainfastness of one hour and no restrictions on the number of sprays per crop.