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Methyl Bromide Alternatives Case Studies, Volume 2
EPA 430-R-96-012, December 1996
Foreword
This is the second EPA publication of case studies describing alternatives to the pesticide methyl bromide. As with the first volume of case studies, the alternatives listed here were chosen because of their level of development and availability, and should not be construed to be the only alternatives to methyl bromide.
It is now clear that methyl bromide is a significant stratospheric ozone depleting chemical, and agricultural use of this material contributes to environmental degradation. Because of this, methyl bromide will soon be phased out both in the United States and internationally. This pesticide has been used since the early 1960's, primarily as a pre-plant soil fumigant (often for high-value crops such as strawberries and tomatoes), as well as a post-harvest (commodity) and structural treatment.
EPA recognizes the importance of a pest control agent like methyl bromide to the agricultural community. Since effective pest management is essential to field agricultural production, commodity storage, natural resource protection, and public health, alternatives to methyl bromide which are efficacious, cost effective, and environmentally sound must be available before methyl bromide is phased out. To assist in this effort, EPA has published this document, as well as the first set of case studies, and has committed to publish two more volumes of case studies.
The alternative materials and methods discussed in these case studies are not intended to be complete replacements for methyl bromide, but tools which are efficacious against the pests that are currently controlled by this pesticide. Many of the alternatives described herein are part of an overall integrated pest management system, and must be combined with other pest control tools to achieve an economically viable level of management. The individual elements are considered in these case studies as a way to define and characterize the wide array of alternatives to methyl bromide.
All efforts were made to insure that the information in this document is correct and factual. Comments on this document, as well as your experiences with these and other alternatives to methyl bromide, are welcome via the contacts listed below.
Table of Contents
Soil Use:
- Nematode Resistant Cultivars
- Chloropicrin in Strawberry Production
- Organic Strawberry Production
- Soil Solarization
- Soil Solarization in Orchards
- IPM in California Vineyards
Commodity Use:
Structural Use:
Please note that these case studies often discuss specific proprietary products and pest control methods. Some of these alternatives are now commercially available, while others are in an advanced stage of development. In all cases, the information presented does not constitute a recommendation or an endorsement of these products or methods by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) or other involved parties. Neither should the absence of an item or pest control method necessarily be interpreted as EPA disapproval.