State warns corn herbicide not legal for use or sale in Wisconsin

Corn herbicides containing isoxaflutole can't be sold or used in Wisconsin, despite reports to the contrary, state officials warn.

The Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection issued a warning Thursday to agribusinesses and farmers not to use corn herbicides such as Balance and Corvus, because they contain isoxaflutole.

"If you are a pesticide dealer, be aware you cannot legally distribute these products in Wisconsin," Lori Bowman, director of the Bureau of Agrichemical Management at DATCP, said in a news release. "If you are an applicator or a farmer doing your own applications, remember that you cannot use this product even if you are able to buy it in another state."

The Environmental Protection Agency registered the use of products containing isoxaflutole in Wisconsin in late 2012 because Bayer CropScience, maker of the products, was interested in registering them for sale and use in Wisconsin.

Bayer CropScience voluntarily withdrew registration in January 2013 so it could work with DATCP regarding the historic concerns about the product.

When pesticides containing isoxaflutole were originally registered by the EPA in the early 2000s, Wisconsin wasn't included because of concerns about surface and groundwater contamination and potential effects on non-target crops, including vegetables.