Effective immediately through a special Section 18 emergency permit, Transform WG is available for restricted use in cotton to control plant bugs in Texas. The emergency use permit is effective through October 2017.

States receiving a Section 18 exemption in cotton in addition to Texas include: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee.

A Section 18 emergency exemption, according to Southwest Farm Press, allows the use of a pesticide on a specific crop for the management of a specific pest for a given period of time.

Restrictions for the product include the following:

  • Pre-harvest Interval: Do not apply within 14 days of harvest.
  • Minimum Treatment Interval: Do not make applications less than five days apart.
  • Do not make more than four applications per acre per year.
  • Do not make more than two consecutive applications per crop.
  • Do not apply more than a total of 8.5 ounces of Transform WG (0.266 lb. active ingredient of sulfoxaflor) per acre per year.

Transform WG insecticide was federally registered in 2013 for use in cotton, but that registration was vacated as a result of an order by the U.S. 9th Circuit Court, in response to activist litigation.

Earlier this year, a Section 18 use permit was granted for use against the sugarcane aphid in grain sorghum for Texas, Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Virginia.

“We are grateful that EPA has approved the Section 18 emergency use exemptions for both crops,” said Phil Jost, Dow AgroSciences portfolio marketing leader, U.S. Crop Protection Insecticides. “The action demonstrates that EPA has listened to growers, consultants and university Extension experts and now recognizes the most valuable role Transform plays in effectively controlling these devastating pests.”

Sugarcane aphids first appeared in sorghum in 2013 and have since continued to move north and west into other states.

“The proliferation of sugarcane aphid happens very quickly, so it is critical for growers to scout early and often,” said Robert Bowling, AgriLife Extension entomology specialist at Texas A&M. “Applying Transform early minimizes populations and diminishes the rate by which sugarcane aphid multiplies. Because of a unique chemistry, Transform insecticide provides growers with an effective resistance management tool.”