VallumVoice

It has taken longer than hoped for, but we have an emergency authorisation (EA) to use Asulox for bracken control in 2022.  Full details are on the Bracken Control Group's website . With the application period starting on 1st July, the industry is having to move fast to get the product distributed and the aerial spray permits in place to allow the helicopters to fly. Within the EA application for this year, which I submitted on behalf of the Bracken Control Group, I included a request for the application process to be reviewed.  After 10 years of submitting applications, it is is difficult to come up with additional information each year to justify a further approval, and since submitting the first application for the 2013 season, much has changed; perhaps the most significant factors have been leaving Europe and the increasing concerns about the endocrine disruptor (see note below) status of pesticides, including asulam. The brinkmanship and uncertainty surrounding the approv...

This gets complicated, quickly, but I hope that this summary will provide a starting point for those who are interested in the control of bracken. There is much more information on the bracken control website . In response to an application for an Emergency Authorisation to allow Asulam to be used for bracken control in 2020, a draft approval was issued by Chemicals Regulation Division (CRD) of HSE, in November 2019. However, this contains restrictions that would prevent Asulam being applied from ground-based equipment, and for aerial spraying, increase the buffer zone against surface water bodies from 50m to 90m. The Bracken Control Group is unhappy with both these proposals. In addition, a list of information required to support future applications was introduced that will be very difficult to achieve. A discussion, hosted by Defra, took place with CRD and Natural England in February. It was agreed that the Bracken Control Group should prepare an additional application to set ou...

For more information see: www.brackencontrol.co.uk  The application for an Emergency Authorisation (EA) for the 2019 season has been successful. Ministerial consent for the EA was received this morning. On behalf of the Bracken Control Group, I submitted the application in July and it was considered by the Expert Committee on Pesticides on 25th September.  All the application documents are available on the  asulam webpage . Key dates for 2019: 20 May 2019 Notice of Authorisation published by CRD. Start of the Emergency Authorisation period of 120 days. Storage, promotion, sales, and transfer authorised. 1 July 2019 Application of Asulam can commence. 16 September 2019 First expiry date: for sale & distribution of stocks. Storage and use of stocks can continue. 31 October 2019 Final expiry date: for disposal, storage and use of stocks. It will be illegal to apply or store Asulam after this date. ...