CL SA Green Bu lle tin

AVCASA ENTERS THE ACCREDITED
March 2015
TRAINING SERVICE PROVIDER ARENA
CLSA Green Bulletin©
CropLife South Africa
Volume 1/2015
Training is not the main business of
AVCASA and its two member associations CropLife South Africa and the SA
Animal Health Association, but it is an
increasingly important part of the association’s service to its members and
society.
All over South Africa producers, government agencies, cooperatives and
the general public refer to “he/she has
AVCASA” meaning the person under
discussion has successfully completed
either the CLSA Basic Crop Protection
Course or the SAAHA Animal Health
Course.
Agents and representatives working in
the crop protection and animal health
arenas that do not “have AVCASA” are
seriously frowned upon. The “AVCASA
qualification” has become a benchmark for people working in these fields
although the courses up until the end
of 2014 enjoyed no formal recognition.
AVCASA Executive Director Tom Mabesa had the vision to bring the two
courses into the training mainstream
and put the wheels in motion in 2012
to get AVCASA accredited as a training
service provider. Hester Jordaan was
contracted to prepare all the required
documentation and the result is that
the AVCASA Academy was awarded its
accreditation by the AgriSETA in
terms of the SA Qualification Authority Act of 1995.
This will soon pave the way for
AVCASA to offer training in crop protection and animal health to prospective candidates under the AgriSETA
banner.
Candidates wishing to enroll for the
crop protection, animal health or aerial applicators courses should contact
Hettie Dickenson at AVCASA on 011805-2000.
Second edition of plant diseases compendium is launched
CropLife SA’s series of
guides or compendiums on pest management has served the
agricultural sector very
well since the first
compendium
was
launched in 2011.
New products enter
the market and labels
change, hence the
need for a revision of
these useful guides.
Kathy van Zyl complet-
ed the revision of
the plant diseases
compendium and it
is ready for distribution now.
The new edition is
titled
“Chemical
control of plant diseases” and is available
from CLSA at R150
each plus postage and
packaging. Call Hettie
or Susan at AVCASA
on 011-805-2000 to
place your order. The
cover price of R150-00
includes the CD ROM
version of the compendium.
In this issue
Rectifying label information
2
Application technology jitters
2
Empty containers and obsoletes
2
Codes, protocols and guidelines
3
Blue cranes poisoned deliberately
3
Unregistered market booming
4
Dagga control unpopular
4
FSC cuts pesticides down
5
Different acts, different tunes
5
New CLSA EXCO
6
CLSA Info Resources explode
6
The partner in sustainable
food production
HOW GOOD IS THE INFORMATION ON LABELS?
One of the positive spin-offs of
the CLSA Information Resources Programme that produces the CLSA Compendiums,
the CLSA Agrochemical Database and CLSA AgriIntel Database, is that minor label errors
and inconsistencies are identified by the specialists populating the respective databases and
compendiums.
biguous data for withholding
periods (pre-harvest intervals),
incorrect citing of aerial application requirements, incorrect
names of pests or weeds, vague
citing of applicable crops and
incorrect spelling of chemical
names especially in Afrikaans.
Kathy van Zyl and Chana-Lee
White will issue a recommendation to a registration holder to
correct these minor errors and
we appeal to all to approach
such recommendations in a
positive spirit.
Some of the most common errors in labels include inconsistent instructions regarding
dosage, discrepancies between
Afrikaans and English texts, am-
After all, it is in the interest of
the registration holder to offer
its client the best information to
secure next season’s sale!!
NEW APPLICATION TECHNOLOGY OFFERS BETTER DEPOSITION OF
CROP PROTECTION PRODUCTS—FACT OR FICTION?
The SA Society for Plant
Pathologists hosted a workshop at their recent congress
in Bloemfontein to discuss efficient application of fungicides
in view of the new application
technology that is available.
The workshop was repeated at
Paarl to inform the Western
Cape Working Group of CLSA.
It was decided to establish a
small working group consisting
of CLSA, researchers, the Citrus Research Institute, the fruit
industry and the agricultural
machinery sector to work on a
position regarding more efficient
application of pesticides in general.
It may bring new perspectives
on the volumes used for pesticide application especially in
orchards and vineyards. It appears as if the new thinking is
already accommodated by apple farmers while citrus poses a
different challenge with its tree
dimensions.
A working group was established to look into this matter
and draft recommendations.
CLSA members will be kept
abreast of developments.
Empty container management and obsolete pesticides
Agrochemical industry members and farmers should have
no more worries about the responsible management of empty plastic pesticide containers.
agement Programme.
Once the containers have been
triple rinsed they are much
sought after by a number of
AVCASA approved plastic recyclers.
It is imperative that owners of
containers must ensure that
they are triple rinsed and dried
out. Unrinsed containers are
classified as hazardous waste
and may not be collected or
transported unless done so by a
registered hazardous waste
management company.
Find a recycler near you on
www.avcasa.co.za under the
heading AVCASA Waste Man-
For left over, redundant and
unwanted pesticides there is
also a solution albeit at the cost
Page 2
of the owner.
The
AVCASA
website lists
three companies that
can dispose
of such obsolete pesticides responsibly.
Also find basic guidelines on
the website for the management of obsolete pesticides and
proper rinsing of empty containers.
CLSA GREEN BULLETIN©
Guidelines, standards and protocols
CropLife SA submitted a request for the inclusion of the
labeling standard for small
pack pesticides and fertilizers (SANS 1268) to the Registrar of Act 36/1947. This
standard was developed by
the Small Pack Working
Group of CLSA as a standard
for all small pack pesticides
and fertilizers.
CLSA also drafted a protocol
for testing physical and
chemical
parameters
of
products for extending shelf
life. This is a necessity as
some products may approach the end of their two
year validity and need to be
verified as of sound chemical
composition and physical
state. The protocol was submitted to the Registrar for
his cognizance.
applications for registration.
Lastly the residue guidelines
were also finalized and
should also soon be implemented.
The much awaited registration guideline was finalized
and discussed with the Registrar and should soon become the norm by which applicants should prepare their
SA’s national bird falls prey to deliberate poisoning
Richmond in the Northern
Media exposure painted a bleak
Cape.
picture of the incident and cata-
Landowners lodged a complaint with the conservation
authorities and the police in
South Africa’s national bird, the
Blue Crane suffered a blow in the
Karoo. According to witnesses and
physical evidence a large number
of over 200 individuals were deliberately poisoned with diazinon
treated maize.
tom of this unfortunate situation.
There are only 25,500
evidence of poisoning was
Cranes left in the world and the
Blue
discovered.
species is listed as
Unfortunate-
threatened
ly no investi-
IUCN
gation
Book.
was
Red
in
the
Data
launched
and it only
came to the
attention
members of the Nama Karoo
others in conservation in February
Foundation who have been work-
2015 when the Nama Karoo Foun-
ing for the conservation of the Ka-
dation asked for assistance with
roo
this matter.
V O L U M E 1 / 20 1 5
cal intervention to get to the bot-
June 2012 when the first
This came as a severe blow to the
natural
lyzed law enforcement and politi-
resources
around
of
Page 3
New trends in the “unregistered market”
The “unregistered pesticide market” is on
the boom in South Africa. CLSA members and staff are vigilant about unregistered crop protection products and report
such products the Inspectorate of the
Directorate of Agriculture Inputs Control.
A number of unregistered biological
pesticides are developed and sold despite
Act 36 of 1947 regarding such products
as agricultural remedies that have to be
registered. It is interesting that the originators of such products generally claim
super efficacy and “environmental
friendliness”. Biologicals of nature are
not as effective as chemical pesticides,
yet if used in an integrated pest management programme they fulfill a very important part of plant protection. The market of registered biological products that
have been proven to be sound and effective, is growing rapidly. Research is conducted to ensure such products are effective. There is thus no need to listen to
unscrupulous marketing messages that
“this product is totally safe and will re-
place harmful chemicals”.
Unregistered pesticides of chemical nature are also on the increase. It is difficult
to understand how these bypass the customs authorities at the ports of entry, but
they enter nevertheless. Such products
are labeled with legitimate labels even
though the contents may not be legit.
Counterfeiting is not as uncommon as we
had hoped to believe.
Importers of unregistered pesticides are
highly innovative and constantly change
the appearance and labeling of their products to make it appear legitimate.
Home-made concoctions where people
make up all-purpose insecticides from
registered products by mixing it with
water and fertilizers, are also becoming
part of the national entrepreneurship.
Pest control operators using pesticides
off-label is a common problem: one such
case involved a PCO that sold fipronil for
head lice treatment to schools and retirement villages. The same PCO’s staff
sprayed alpha-cypermethrin in fridges
and freezers in old age homes. This PCO
was reported to the inspectorate and is
currently riding the rough road to the
court for prosecution. When contacted by
an investigator the distributor who sold
the fipronil to this PCO confirmed that
fipronil is safe to use for head lice on
people and also safe to use for lice and
ticks on cats and dogs!.
Another PCO make the mistake of applying methamidophos in a
government
building in
the Eastern
Cape.
Any suspicious activity
with pesticides should be reported to the
Griffon Poison Information Centre for
investigation: nesher@tiscali.co.za or
082-446-8946.
EC cannabis plantations fold under glyphosate
The South African Police Service made
short work of cannabis plantations in
the Eastern Cape during February
2015 with the aerial application of
glyphosate to destroy huge plantations of the narcotic plants.
It triggered an outcry from a select
group of pro-cannabis individuals
who are of the opinion that cannabis is
a benign narcotic plant with no ill effect on users. Very negative comments
Page 4
were also aired about glyphosate being “one of the most toxic pesticides in
the world”.
The outcries were truly alarming. If
cannabis was such a benign plant why
are there so many addicts in the
world? Is it not also true that many
drug addicts start with a “dagga zol”?
From a toxicological perspective cannabinol’s LD50 is about 30 mg/kg
while glyphosate’s LD50 is 5,000 mg/
kg. Cannabinol is a habit forming substance, glyphosate is not. Who
doesn’t understand this?
CLSA GREEN BULLETIN©
FSC axes important pesticides from the timber industry
The Forest Stewardship Council or
FSC recently publish their updated
list of “Highly Hazardous Pesticides”. Products that are classified
as “Highly Hazardous” are off limits
for FSC certification holders.
Pesticides such as picloram, boron
containing
products, some of the
conazole fungicides
and copper based
fungicides
were
chopped,
leaving
timber producers at
a loss for effective
tools to manage
plantation
and
nursery pests and
diseases.
With climate change being a reality,
timber production is facing an ever
increasing pressure from new pathogens and emerging insect pests
that target plantations and nurseries.
South African timber companies
decided many years ago to conform
to the FSC principles in order to
qualify for FSC certification. The
Timber Industry Pesticide Working
Group (TIPWG) was established
both as a governing body for the
industry’s pesticide usage and
to assist members with applications for derogation to use prohibited pesticides. The TIPWG
members are extremely aware of
the FSC pesticide policy and tow
the line.
What is disturbing is that there
is a growing list of necessary pesticides that are prohibited by the
FSC. Paraquat for example that is
an essential product for the preparation of fire breaks, may only be
used under derogation. South Afri-
can timber companies have NO record of paraquat exposures or poisoning, yet the FSC refuses to
grasp the importance of this herbicide for the timber industry.
The TIPWG members are innovative
in looking at new ways to do pest
control in view of the FSC limitations. Biological remedies are tested as potential pesticides while
cultivation practices are modified to
combat pests, diseases and weeds
without the need for excessive pesticide application.
Some sanity needs to be brought
into the FSC principles; timber production in South Africa is an agricultural activity that is burdened by
pests, diseases and problem plants.
Without pesticides timber production will be seriously. To think timber production can be totally organic is simply not an option.
Act 25.0836 and Act 04.0862 sign different tunes
Act No. 25 of 0836 is not
the only piece of legislation
that is relevant to pesticides.
The Hazardous Substances
Act, 0862 (Act 04 of 0862)
is particularly important in
terms of the more toxic pesticides. It has a list of Group
0, Category A and B hazardous substances of which
many are active ingredients
of pesticides.
According to Act 04.0862
any person selling pesticides
that contain any of those
categorized active ingredients must the licensed by
the Department of Health to
do so. A further requirement
is that sales records of such
pesticides must be kept in a
poison register by the liV O L U M E 1 / 20 1 5
censed person.
It is important to note that
the Categories under Act
04.0862 (Group 0 Category
A and B) are NOT the same
as the hazard classification
under Act 25 of 0836. For
example9 oxamyl is a Group
0 Category B hazardous
substance and may therefore
only sold by a person licensed by the Department
of Health. Some oxamyl formulations are classified a
Group IA and others as
Group II under Act 25 of
0836 — the fact that some
may be Group II under Act
25.0836 does not abscond
the person selling such
products from being licensed
as it contains a Group 0
Category B hazardous substance.
Licenses under Act 04.0862
are issued by the Department of Health, and normally that competency lies with
the local authority. Distributors and agents need to ensure they are in good standing of Act 04.0862 because
although the Dept. of Agriculture is a different department their inspectors may
demand proof of Dept. of
Health licensing as it is referred to in the Regulations
for
Agricultural
Remedies
under Act 25.0836.
Call /71-335-7835 for more
clarity and get that license
sorted out!
Page 5
New CLSA EXCO elected on 17 March 2015
CROPLIFE SOUTH AFRIC A
P.O. Box 1995
Halfway House
1685
Constantia Square Office Park
526 Sixteenth Road
Randjespark
Midrand
Phone: +27-11-805-2000
Fax: +27-11-805-2222
E-mail: info@avcasa.co.za
www.croplife.co.za
The members of the new CLSA EXCO for the
2015/2016 period was announced on 17 March 2105
after elections during the CLSA annual general
meeting:
Marcel Dreyer—President
Dr Klaus Eckstein—Vice President
Antonie Delport Cicelia van Rooi
Johan du Plessis Kobus Steenekamp
Rolf Dieckmann Roy Cackette
Marius Boshoff Leon Smith
Jacques du Preez Rodney Bell
Tom Mabesa ex officio
CLSA Green Bulletin© is the news
bulletin of CropLife South Africa
Editor: Dr Gerhard Verdoorn,
nesher@tiscali.co.za 082-4468946
CLSA’s Information Resources bulge at the seams with the new
Plant Growth Regulants, Defoliants and Desiccants Compendium
Kathy van Zyl, the originator of
the CLSA guides on plant protection, produced the fifth compendium in the series at the end of last
year. A Guide to the use of Plant
Growth Regulants, Defoliants and
Desiccants in South Africa follows
on compendiums on the control of
plant diseases, plant pests, weeds
in agriculture and problem plants.
This guide is available from
AVCASA (call Hettie or Susan on
011-805-2000) to place orders.
The first revision of the plant diseases compendium is also available now (see cover page).
It is well known that CLSA is the
only reliable and up-to-date
source of information on plant
Page 6
ous information resources.
protection products of all kinds:
chemical, natural and biological.
Request for information on registered plant protection products
pour in from all over the world
and CLSA can answer such question due the investment it made in
the CLS Agricultural Remedies
Database, the AgriIntel Database
and the series of compendiums.
Registration holders should check
all the information resources for
errors and omissions and report
such to info@cropsolutions.co.za,
cwhite@starmail.co.za
and
nesher@tiscali.co.za.
CLSA AgriIntel and the CLSA Ag
Remedies Database are information resources made available
free of charge for anyone who may
require agrochem information.
The compendiums are sold at very
affordable prices to ensure everybody can afford them! Order
yours now.
Kathy van Zyl and Chana-Lee
White are responsible for capturing data and producing the variCLSA GREEN BULLETIN©