The herbicide diquat is to be be withdrawn from the UK market from 31 July 2019, and the final date for permitted use on-farm will be 4 February 2020.
The EU Commission has confirmed its decision to withdraw the approval of diquat, the active ingredient in Reglone and Retro.
In October 2018, the Commission decided to implement its proposal not to renew its approval in the EU.
This decision applies to all products containing diquat, and was based on concerns related to the precautionary principle of exposure of bystanders and residents, as well as birds.
In the UK, the Chemicals Regulation Division of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has now given a date for diquat products to be withdrawn from the market by 31 July 2019, with a use-up period for growers up to 4 February 2020.
Syngenta UK Potato Manager, Mark Britton, explained: “With this in mind, growers should ensure they only order and take delivery of what they believe they will use before 4 Feb 2020, to avoid incurring disposal costs for unused product.
"The 2019 growing crop will also provide the opportunity to trial alternative desiccation and weed control options on farm, before the 2020 season when diquat can no longer be applied to crops,” he added.
Diquat is referred to as a desiccant because it causes a leaf or an entire plant to dry out quickly.
