MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) is accepting comments through May 11, 2022 for a proposed special pesticide registration to allow succulent lima bean growers to use Reflex® herbicide for weed control. The registration would help lima bean growers control susceptible broadleaf weed species after the lima bean has emerged. The product is already registered for use in Wisconsin on lima beans but limited to dry lima beans. 

Reflex® is registered for use on a variety of vegetable crops in Wisconsin. Other weed control application methods on the label will remain for all crops.

The special need for the lima bean crop arises from their increasing susceptibility to broadleaf weeds such as Palmer Amaranth, Waterhemp, and Nightshade species. These broadleaf weeds rapidly spread by producing thousands of seeds per plant, which hinders plant growth and reduces quality and yield of lima beans. Nightshade species produce toxic berries that can contaminate the crop at harvest.

This is the second special registration for Reflex® for use on succulent lima beans, after the lima bean has emerged. As a five-year permit, the proposed registration will go through December 31, 2026. Syngenta is the manufacturer, and the active ingredient is sodium salt of fomesafen. Adverse effects of the prior registration were not received by DATCP.

The preliminary environmental assessment indicates that the proposed registration will not require a full environmental assessment. Comments received on or before 4:30 p.m. on May 11, 2022 will become part of the preliminary environmental assessment record. For a copy of the assessment, contact:

Alyssa Foss, DATCP P.O. Box 8911 Madison, WI, 53708-8911 (608) 224-4547 [email protected]

How to Submit Comments Submit comments to DATCP Pesticide Special Registration Program Manager Alyssa Foss by mail at the above address or email at [email protected] .

Special Registrations of Pesticide Products The special registration process allows states to register additional uses of pesticide products other than those listed on their labels, without prior federal approval. It helps growers address local pest problems that cannot be adequately controlled by any available federally registered product. These problems include insect outbreaks, fungal diseases, and grasses and weeds that outcompete crops. For more information, visit https://datcp.wi.gov/Pages/Programs_Services/SpecialPesticideRegistrations.aspx. 

For questions or assistance, please contact: Colin Schmies at [email protected] or 608-206-0476

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–Aaron Annable, Consul, Manager Foreign Policy and Diplomatic Services, Canadian Consulate General Chicago

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–Kathryn Valdez, Manager of Energy & Environmental Policy, Xcel Energy

–Professor Paul Wilson, Department Chair and Grainger Professor of Nuclear Engineering, Engineering Physics, University of Wisconsin