July 28, 2008

ISSUE 1229

NEW TPR FRUITING VEGETABLE/MELON CHATEAU® HERBICIDE LABEL AVAILABLE

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services announced on July 25 approval of a new Third Party Registrations, Inc. CHEATEAU® Herbicide (flumioxazen) Special Local Need label for weed control between rows of transplanted or seeded fruiting vegetable crops, okra and crops in the Melon 9-A Subgroup grown using the raised-bed plastic mulch production system.

This label is valid immediately and available to any commercial fruiting vegetable (tomato, pepper, eggplant, etc.) and melon 9-A subgroup (cantaloupes, citron melons, muskmelons and muskmelon hybrids and/or cultivars, and watermelons) farm that is in good standing and an active member of FFVA. Access to the label is managed through the TPR waiver and limitations of warranty and liability process. This process requires that a Registration Agreement and a Waiver and Limitation of Warranty and Liability document be processed by Third Party Registrations, Inc. before the grower receives the label. Once this paperwork is completed and the $2-per-acre label administrative fee is received, participants will be provided with the label and legal access to the product.
The approved label allows for row middle application pre-transplant with hooded or shielded spray equipment. CHATEAU provides residual management of numerous broadleaf and grassy weeds (dozens of species are listed on the label such as nightshade, lambsquarters, pigweeds, ragweeds, Eclipta, purslane, crabgrass, goosegrass, etc.) in a pre-emergent manner. CHATEAU has extended residual activity. This herbicide requires ¼ inch of rainfall or irrigation for activation, but once activated CHATEAU provides a weed-control barrier typically lasting six weeks or more. CHATEAU could be used by itself or in a tank mix with products such as Gramoxone, Roundup or Aim, in row middle broadleaf weed burndown programs. The active ingredient, flumioxazin, is non-volatile and non-leaching as well.

Growers who indicated interest in this label through the CHATEAU grower interest questionnaire sent last winter will automatically be sent the paperwork necessary for signup. Other growers who may be interested in access to this or any other TPR, Inc. label are encouraged to contact the Environmental & Pest Management Division for assistance in the enrollment process.

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