This move follows an Amendment Notice issued by CRD in November 2018 and comes despite NFU efforts to secure a delay to allow for feeding studies to be assessed.
Maleic hydrazide is the active substance in growth regulating products, such as Itcan SL270, Crown MH, Fazor and Source II, and is used for the control of volunteers and to suppress sprouting during storage.
Growers should contact their supply chain customer to find out their position on MH-treated potatoes. It is anticipated that very few, if any, will accept crop treated with ‘new label’ (label with the mention: “do not feed treated crop to livestock”) MH products as most businesses are not able to segregate waste.
‘Old label’ products, which are solely those purchased and stored on farm before 30 April 2019, do not carry the label restriction. But it is still important to check with your customer to see if they will accept potatoes treated with these products.
The owner of the potato crop has the responsibility to ensure that potatoes that have been treated with ‘new label’ MH products do not enter the livestock feed supply chain. This means you must inform anyone who buys potatoes from you if they have been treated with ‘new label’ MH products. The owner of the potatoes also has the responsibility to avoid on farm waste and out grades being fed to livestock.
If you are growing potatoes for the bag or free-buy market, you should be aware that, even if it is not possible to speak to your customer now, you may find that there is less of a market for potatoes treated with ‘new label’ MH products as options for disposal of waste will be limited.
Popular products containing MH available in the UK:
- Gemini Itcan SL270
- Both ‘old’ and ‘new label’ products share same MAPP number: 17957
- Read the label
- Certis Crown MH
- Both ‘old’ and ‘new label’ products share same MAPP number: 18018
- Read the label
- UPL (Arysta) Fazor
- ‘Old label’ MAPP numbers: 13617
- ‘New label’ MAPP number: 19074
- Read the label
- Drexel Source II
- Both ‘old’ and ‘new label’ products share same MAPP number: 17858
- Read the label
Other formulations are available; if your product is not listed, you can check the HSE’s Pesticides Register.
AHDB has recently completed a review of MH as a potato sprout suppressant and the results can be found here.