By Justin Walker
Communications Specialist
A Section 18 Emergency Exemption for the use of Transform WG has been approved for Texas cotton to help control plant bugs. The emergency exemption goes into effect March 1 and will expire Oct. 31.
“This is beneficial for cotton growers in the state that need an additional tool to fight plant bugs on their cotton,” Brant Wilbourn, associate director for Commodity and Regulatory Activities at Texas Farm Bureau, said.
Cotton farmers can apply 1.5-2.25 ounces of Transform WG per acre under the exemption. Applications are prohibited above wind speeds of 10 miles per hour.
Certain restrictions apply to the exemption. Farmers have a 14-day, pre-harvest interval, meaning Transform cannot be used within 14 days of harvest. Applications are not allowed less than five days apart, and no more than four applications per acre per year is allowed.
“These additional guidelines are in place since Transform is not labeled for cotton,” Wilbourn said. “These add to the original product label to give the label restriction on cotton. If farmers don’t follow the label, they could be fined. Essentially the label is the law.”
Other restrictions include no more than two consecutive applications per crop and not applying more than a total of 8.5 ounces of Transform WG per acre per year.
“The amount that they can apply in season is in there due to the tolerance levels of the chemical that can be in cotton,” Wilbourn said.
Plant bugs is a term used to describe a group of closely related cotton pests, including the tarnished plant bug, the western tarnished plant bug and the cotton fleahopper, among others. These pests feed on squares and young bolls. According to Cotton Incorporated, the cotton fleahopper is the most troublesome for Texas farmers.