Canada to approve two herbicides

The Canadian Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) has recently proposed to approve the registrations for Flumioxazin Technical and the end-use products Flumioxazin 51WDG Herbicide(Flumioxazin) to control weeds in numerous crops, and Flumioxazin 0.25G Herbicide(Flumioxazin) to control weeds in container grown ornamentals.

Flumioxazin belongs to the N-phenylphthalimide chemical family and is a Weed Science Society of America Group 14 herbicide. The mode of action is the inhibition of the enzyme protoporphyrinogen oxidase . This enzyme is part of the chlorophyll biosynthesis pathway, and its inhibition leads to a loss of chlorophyll and carotenoids, and irreversible damage to cell membrane function and structure. Sensitive plants emerging from soils treated with the herbicide flumioxazin become necrotic and die shortly after exposure to sunlight.

Additionally,the agency also proposed to grant registrations of Sodium Diflufenzopyr Technical Herbicide and the end-use product Overdrive Herbicide(diflufenzopyr-sodium 20% + dicamba 50%), to control broadleaf weeds in pasture, rangeland and non-cropland situations such as railroad, utility, pipeline and highway rights-of-way, railroad crossings, roadside, petroleum tank farms, non-agriculture fencerows and airports.

Overdrive is a postemergence herbicide , which is applied using ground application equipment to pasture, rangeland and non-cropland situations such as railroad, utility, pipeline and highway rights-ofway, railroad crossings, roadside, petroleum tank farms, non-agriculture fencerows and airports, for the control of broadleaf weeds.
 
Diflufenzopyr-sodium inhibits the transport of naturally occurring auxin and synthetic auxin-like compounds, like dicamba, in sensitive plants. When diflufenzopyr-sodium is applied with dicamba, it focuses translocation of dicamba to the growing points of the plant and providing weed control at lower rates of dicamba than when dicamba is applied alone.

The agency has opened the public comments until Aug 11, 2014.