EPA issues Section 18 exemption for Endigo ZCX for Arkansas rice stink bug
July 17, 2023
By Sarah Cato
U of A System Division of Agriculture
Fast Facts:
- Section 18 emergency use exemption granted July 14, extends to Oct. 15
- Section 18 label is available here
- Applications must be reported to the Arkansas Department of Ag within 10 days
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LITTLE ROCK — With rice stink bug populations ramping up and limited control options
available, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued a Section 18 exemption
for Endigo® ZCX insecticide in Arkansas rice from July 14 through Oct. 15.
Endigo ZCX is currently labeled for use in soybeans, cotton and some specialty crops, but not rice. The exemption temporarily allows farmers in the nation’s top rice-growing state to use Endigo ZCX get rice stink bug populations under control.
Rice stink bugs cause yield loss by feeding on kernels, according to Nick Bateman, extension entomologist with the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. This feeding also allows pathogens to enter the grain, causing discoloration which can reduce milling quality and grade.
Prior to the exemption, growers had two options for rice stink bug control — lambda cy and Tenchu®. However, Bateman said lambda cy is providing little control and Tenchu has been largely unavailable to growers.
“Control with lambda cy is a problem, especially as we move into the third and fourth week of July. We’ll be looking at about 50 percent control,” Bateman said. “The main reason we submitted for this Section 18 was because we essentially have one effective alternative with Tenchu, but the supply is not there to meet the demand in Arkansas.”
Bateman said this Section 18 exemption will help growers minimize damage and yield loss.
“We’re on the front end of this pressure. In general, everyone is running about one-and-a-half, two times threshold,” Bateman said. “But we have a ton of rice surrounded by barnyard grass that is chock full of rice stink bugs. There’s a big healthy population and with the way it’s built up, we’re doubling our numbers every seven days.”
The current threshold for rice stink bugs in flowering to milk stage rice is five stinkbugs per 10 sweeps. Bateman said many growers are catching 10 to 15 stinkbugs per 10 sweeps.
“With the numbers we’re seeing and the numbers we’re expecting, we’re very fortunate to get Endigo in Arkansas,” Bateman said. “Our experience with this product has been good and we typically see upwards of 14 days of control.”
Bateman said the rate range for Endigo ZCX is 4.5 to 6 ounces, and he recommends 5 ounces. The exemption is limited to one application per year at 6 ounces and areas within 100 feet of the edge of the field must be kept free of flowering weeds.
Those wishing to use Endigo ZCX should review the label. Applications must be reported to the Arkansas Department of Agriculture within 10 days of the application. Applications should be reported through the online form.
Arkansas obtained a similar exemption last year.
Use of product names does not imply endorsement.
To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu/. Follow on Twitter at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on Twitter at @AgInArk.
About the Division of Agriculture
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land grant education system.
The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on five system campuses.
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs to all eligible persons without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.
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Media Contact:
Sarah Cato
scato@uada.edu
870-815-9035