The Canola Council of Canada reminds growers to follow the pre-harvest interval instructions on pesticide labels. The Council’s crop program manager Chris Anderson says as “harvest gets closer, growers need to pay even more attention to the pre-harvest interval”.

He explains that the pre-harvest interval refers to the amount of time between applying a product and when harvest begins. For canola, that means pre-harvest intervals are based on the time between pesticide application and swathing or straight cutting.

This year, with bertha armyworm and diamondback moth counts climbing, growers may be considering late applications of insecticides to protect their yields. “With canola prices where they are right now, growers have extra incentive to protect their bushels,” Anderson says. “but they need to make sure they are choosing the right product with the right pre-harvest interval.”

The pre-harvest interval allows time for the particular pesticide residue to break down before a treated food or feed crop is harvested. Product labels list restrictions on rates and timing of applications that ensure the safety of the crop being harvested.

“The pre-harvest intervals don’t come out of the air,” Anderson says. “They are science-based and must be strictly followed.” He notes that Canada has an “excellent reputation as a supplier of safe, reliable, quality products”. Anderson says failing to follow label pre-harvest intervals could jeopardize that reputation and put canola markets at risk.

Growers should always check labels on products they plan to use before they apply the pesticide but there is a list of pre-harvest intervals for commonly used pesticides at: http://www.canola-council.org/pre_harvest.aspx.

For more information on the canola Export Ready program, visit www.canola-council.org or call 1-866-834-4378.

Media contact:
Diane Wreford
(204) 982-2108
wrefordd@canola-council.org