The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is calling for submissions on an application by Bayer New Zealand Limited to approve a fungicide called Vimoy Iblon for use in New Zealand to protect cereal crops.
The fungicide's active ingredient isoflucypram, has not yet been approved in any country.
Bayer is intending to market its use to control scald, net blotch, Ramularia leaf spot in barley, leaf rust in barley and wheat, stripe rust in wheat and triticale, and speckled leaf blotch in wheat.
It may also treat four arable diseases in New Zealand: Septoria tritici and leaf rust which infect wheat; Ramularia leaf spot that infects barley, and stem rust which infects ryegrass seed crops.
Public submissions form part of the EPA's assessment process for new hazardous substance applications that are publicly notified under the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act.
Information provided is analysed and considered by a decision-making committee, who ultimately decide whether the substance can be imported or manufactured for use in New Zealand, and controls (rules) that may be necessary to manage any environmental or human health concerns.
