UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY WASHINGTON, D.C. 20460

IJUL 06 2011

MEMORANDUM

OFFICE OF CHEMICAL SAFETY AND POLLUTION PREVENTION

SUBJECT: BEAD Chemical Profile for Registration Review: Thiamethoxam (060109)

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FROM: David Brassard, Senior Entomologist ~~ ~ Biological Analysis Branch

JihadAlsadek,Economist 7~ It . 11-~ Science Information and Analysis Branch

Derek Berwald, Economist V /r1.. \M.. ~~ Economic Analysis Branch "" \) Biological and Economic Analysis Division (7503P

THRU: Arnet Jones, Chief J ..... 1I!3-t-- 4- A .. ~ -:1;--s Biological Analysis Brarih- /'

Diann Sims, Chief ~ Science Information and Analysis Branch

Timothy Kiely, Chief (\... \,\.VI rQ Economic Analysis Branch ~, J. U Biological and Economic Analysis Division (7503P)

TO: Carissa Cyran, Chemical Review Manager Risk Management and Implementation Branch 1 Pesticide Re-evaluation Division (7508P)

Product Review Panel date: June 15,2011

INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this document is to convey usage information and a broad overview of the pest management roles of pesticides that are beginning to undergo registration review. The anticipated audience consists of the team of EPA staff currently evaluating the registration status of Thiamethoxam, and eventually the general public. This document builds upon the data already

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provided in the "Usage and Label Use Data Packages" that are also provided to Registration Review teams by BEAD . . The document is based on information and data available to BEAD as of June 15,2011.

Thiamethoxam is a second generation neonicotinoid insecticide, belonging to the thianicotinyl subclass. Thiamethoxam acts on the central nervous system by binding to the postsynaptic nicotinic acetylcholine receptor. Thiamethoxam is highly water soluble and is readily translocated in plant tissue giving it good systemic activity. Thiamethoxam has stomach and contact activity and is effective against a wide variety of insects ~cluding aphids, thrips, beetles, centipedes, millipedes, sawflies, leaf miners, stem borers and termites.

USE SITES

Agricultural Use Sites

Thiamethoxam is registered for use on a wide variety offield, fiber, forage, fruit, spice, and vegetable crops. The following is a partial list of registered crop uses: 8J.falfa, apple, artichoke, broccoli, cabbage, caneberries, cantaloupe, carrot, cauliflower, celery, cherries, com, cotton, cucumbers, dry beans, grapefruit, grapes, lemons, lettuce, oranges, peaches, peas, pears, pecans, peppers, plums/prunes, potatoes, pumpkins, sorghum, soybeans, spinach, squash, strawberries, sunflower, sugarbeet, tobacco, tomatoes, watermelons, and wheat.

Non-Agricultural Use Sites

Thiamethoxam is registered for use on or in domestic dwellings, food handling establishments, commercial/institutional/industrial areas, livestock pens, poultry houses, wood or wooden structures, and transportation vehicles.

COMMON FORMULATIONS AND APPLICATION METHODS

Thiamethoxam is marketed in the following formulations: granular, water dispersible granules, emulsifiable concentrate, flowable concentrate, soluble concentrate, and ready-to-use solution. Thiamethoxam is applied as a foliar treatment, soil treatment, seed treatment, water treatment, bait application, and premise treatment.

USAGE

Agricultural Based on private market pesticide usage data from 2000-2010, the annual total agricultural usage averaged 400,000 pounds active ingredient for 18 million treated acres for an overall average application rate of 0.02Ibs. a.i. per acre. The annual total agricultural usage data for the last three years, 2008-2010, averaged 900,000 pounds active ingredient for 45 million treated acres for an overall average application rate also of 0.02 lbs. a.i. per acre. In comparison to this rate, the average a.i. application rate in lbs. a.i. per acre is 0.03 for both soybeans and cotton and 0.01 for com. The use of thiamethoxam has been increasing over time.

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From 2000-2010, the crops with the highest use in terms of total pounds of active ingredient applied are soybeans (36%), com (31 %), and cotton (26%). Crops with the highest total area treated (TAT) are com (51 %), soybeans (27%), and cotton (16%).

On average, the states with the highest use ofthiamethoxam in terms of pounds a.i. applied are Iowa (10%), Nebraska (7%), and Texas, Arkansas, Mississippi, Minnesota, and Illinois (6% each).

(proprietary Data, 2000-2010).

Non-Agricultural About 300 lbs. a.i. ofthiamethoxam was used in greenhouses and nurseries in 2006.

USE TRENDS

Figure 1 provides usage data for crops with the highest use of thiamethoxam in terms of pounds a.i. applied for the whole period, 2000-2010. The use of thiamethoxam on com started in 2004 and was increasing thereafter. The use on soybeans increased from 2006 to 2010. The use of thiamethoxam fluctuated on cotton (2000-2010). The crops in "other crops" with the most use of thiamethoxam are potatoes (3%), spring wheat, winter wheat, and sorghum (1 % each). Figure 2 provides usage data for crops with the highest use of thiamethoxam in terms of pounds a.i. applied for the last three years (2008-2010). Data for these three years show the use of thiamethoxam is rising on cotton, soybeans, and "other crops", while the use ofthiamethoxam on cotton is almost stable. The use of this chemical has increased over time. The data provided in this section are provided for preliminary scoping purposes only because the data have not been analyzed.

Figure 1 ThiamethoxamAgricultural Use, 2000-2010

1,200,000 -r-----------------

• Other Crops PoundsA.I.

• Soybeans

• Cotton

. Corn

20002001200220032004200520062007200820092010

Years

"Other crops" with significant usage ofthiamethoxam includes potatoes (3%), spring wheat, winter wheat, and sorghum (1 % each).

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Figure 2 Thiamethoxam Agricultural Use, 2008-2010

1,200,000

PoundsA.I.

o 2008 2009

Years

• Other Crops

• Soybeans

• Cotton

. Corn

2010

"Other crops" with significant usage ofthiamethoxam includes potatoes (3%), spring wheat, winter wheat, and sorghum (1 % each).

Source: Proprietary Data, 2000-2010

BIOLOGICAL ASPECTS RELEVANT TO THIAMETHOXAM

The registrant makes a number of plant health claims regarding thi.amethoxam (Syngenta 2011). Syngenta's trademarked name for this phenomenon is "Thiamethoxam VigorTM." Syngenta claims that thiamethoxam offers growers additional benefits beyond broad-spectrum insect protection such as faster emergence, greater plant stands, earlier canopy, taller and greener plants, and improved qUality. Syngenta claims thiamethoxam positively affects the plant through its ability to increase the biosynthesis of functional proteins resulting in more effective defense against numerous environmental stress conditions (Syngenta 2011).

mSTORY OF BEAD ASSESSMENTS FOR THIAMETHOXAM

Thiamethoxam has been evaluated for Section 18 requests several times, but only once in the last five years. In that case, there was a request for thiamethoxam to control grape colapsis in Arkansas rice. The state, however, provided insufficient yield loss infonnation for BEAD to detennine if there would be a significant economic loss without thiamethoxam. In earlier requests, an urgent and non-routine situation was found for requests to control cranberry weevil in Massachusetts (2003, 2002). BEAD was unable to make a finding or found the situation to be either non-urgent or routine for pears, in Washington, soybean for seed in Iowa, insect pests in South Carolina peaches and dry beans for seed in Washington and Idaho.

INFORMATION THAT MAY BE USEFUL FOR BEAD'S FUTURE WORK ON THIAMETHOXAM

Obtaining additional infonnation on the following items would improve future BEAD assessments of the importance of thiamethoxam and may be required as part of the registration review of this pesticide.

BEAD would like to obtain additional usage infonnation on the non-agricultural use sites. Our available non-agricultural database does not survey these sites.

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REFERENCES

Proprietary Data~ 2000-2010

Kline and Company, Inc., 2006

Label Use Information System (LUIS) Report, 2011

Syngenta. 2011. Thiamethoxam Questions and Answers. http://www.syngentacropprotection.com/assets/assetli brary/ canada THX OA. pdf

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