On April 30th of this year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published document EPA-HQ-OPP-2026-2973-0002 entitled the “Draft Fungicide Strategy to Reduce Exposure of Federally Listed Endangered and Threatened Species and Designated Critical Habitats from the Use of Conventional Agricultural Fungicides”. This strategy is officially open for public comment through July 20th, and the Arizona Pest Management Center and the University of Arizona are working on formulating a cohesive response.  

This latest draft strategy includes a sizable focus on potential off-site movement of fungicides through runoff associated with treated seed. The following excerpt is taken directly from the document:

“As part of the next steps, EPA is requesting stakeholder input on several aspects of the strategy including… Considerations regarding seed treatments, including seed treatment usage data, information and data on the availability of pesticides on the seed coat to runoff, prevalence of non-commercial (e.g., on-farm, on-site) seed treatments, effects of handling (e.g., loading, planting) on the quality of the pesticide coat and its availability for runoff, and relevant agronomic practices that might reduce the potential for runoff from treated seeds (e.g., seeding depths, disposal)”

Accessible as of June 2026 at https://www.regulations.gov/document/EPA-HQ-OPP-2026-29730002

While the potential route of contaminated off-site runoff from treated seed has been a minor discussion in the scientific literature, it has not been enough of a focus to warrant surveying or regulatory decisions at the federal level thus far. This request for information suggests that this may potentially change going forward. The public comment period presents the best opportunity to bring up practical considerations during early stages before regulatory decisions are made. Regulatory decisions are less likely to present unintended consequences when they are informed by real-world operational perspectives which are ultimately guided by region- and crop-specific experience.

To better inform our response, we are seeking information from across Yuma County to help identify use patterns and current stewardship practices related to fungicide-treated seed. A brief, anonymous, five-minute survey can be found at the following link:

https://uarizona.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bQpJQzNodI3c5x4

We invite growers, PCAs, seed industry professionals, and distributors to fill it out. If you do not work with treated seed as a grower or PCA, answering the first question will accordingly finish the survey. The response will still provide valuable insight into usage patterns. Thank you in advance for your time and participation. 

VegIPM Update Vol. 17, Num. 7
April 1, 2026

Results of pheromone and sticky trap catches below!!

Corn earworm:  CEW numbers remained high over the last two weeks; numbers remain high particularly in Welton and Tacna areas. Above average for this time of season.

Beet armyworm: BAW activity remained steady over the last two weeks. Above average for this time of the season. Historically BAW numbers are expected to continue increasing over the next few weeks.

Cabbage looper: Cabbage looper moth activity decreased over the last two weeks but remains higher than average for late-March. Based on historic data, expect to see high numbers through the end of the produce season.     

Diamondback moth: Adult activity increased across most locations. High numbers seen in Yuma Valley.  About average for this time of the year.   

Whitefly: Adult activity increased across all locations, about average for this time of year. Expect numbers to continue increasing as temperatures warm up.

Thrips: Over the last two weeks, thrips adult activity continued to increase across locations and reached season highs. Higher than average for this time of year.  Expect numbers to continue increasing as temperatures warm up

Aphids: Winged aphid numbers continue to decrease at most sites in the last two weeks. At our efficacy trials at YAC, most aphids died due to the high temperatures. below average for this time of the year.

Leafminers: Adult leafminer activity remains steady, high numbers continue to be seen in Yuma Valley, about average for this time of the season.