UC Searches For Methyl Bromide Alternatives

Wines & Vines, Sept, 2001

With only a few years left before methyl bromide is scheduled to be phased out completely, University of California researchers are racing to develop effective, economically viable alternatives for the ozone-depleting fumigant.

Economists with the National Center for Food and Agricultural Policy in Washington, D.C., report that 1,3-D chloropropene (Telone), which is considered an effective replacement fumigant for many uses, may not be available to many California growers who want it because of strict state restrictions to reduce air-quality health hazards. While the demand for 1,3-D is expected to increase by as much as 500% in California when methyl bromide is no longer available, township-based restrictions would limit its use in up to 47 counties.

In the absence of a single chemical replacement for methyl bromide, UC researchers have been pursuing a variety of alternative pest control strategies. The UC Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (SAREP) is administering a special $1 million allocation from the state legislature.

"We're pleased that the projects we've funded are employing biologically based solutions such as microorganisms, farming rotation that suppress soil-borne pathogens, the use of clean nursery material and resistant rootstocks," said SAREP Director Sean Swezey.