The implementation of new rules for the U.S. EPA pesticide crop classification will significantly reduce registration costs

Recently, the U.
S
.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued Final Rule 6 of the pesticide crop classification regulations that is being revised.
According to the latest release, the EPA will increase the number of commercial crops in some crop categories, which will benefit legume, vegetable growers, cereal growers and pesticide registrants while protecting human and environmental health
.

Crop classification

First, understand why crop classification
is done.
The EPA sets maximum residues of pesticides that are allowed to remain in or on food as part of the regulation of
pesticide residues in foods.

Pesticide residue data for certain representative crops can be used to determine pesticide residue limits for other botanically or taxonomically relevant crops, for which the EPA establishes crop groups
.
Crop groupings can apply pesticide residue research results from one crop to other related crops
within the same group.

Crop classification rule revisions

In January 2022, EPA published a draft rule for public comment to improve the classification of several pesticide crops, including:

· Crop group 6: legumes and vegetables;

· Crop group 7: leaves of legumes and vegetables;

· Crop group 15: cereals;

· Crop group 16: forage, fodder and straw
.

Once the request was sent, a number of comments
were received on the proposed rule.
The final rule covers all comments received by the EPA, and changes to the draft rule include additional crop subcategories, changes to representative crops and terminology, and commercial crops to improve efficiency in assessing pesticide risk used in crops grown in and outside the United States
.

The number of crops in the corresponding crop category has been expanded from 168 to 248
.
The main revisions are as follows:

1.
Add crop group 6-22 (legumes and vegetables), representing broad beans, peas, soybeans
.
and establish subgroups under this crop group, as shown in the following table:

2.
Changed the product description of crop group 7 from "plant part of any legume" to "plant part of any legume vegetable in crop group 6–22"
.

3.
Added crop group 7-22 (forage and hay for legumes), representing broad beans, soybeans and field peas
.
Subgroup 7-22A was established under this crop group: forage and hay for leguminous vegetables (except soybeans), representing fava beans and field peas
.

4.
New crop group 15-22 (cereal grains), representative crops are wheat, barley, corn, sweet corn, rice, sorghum.

and establish subgroups under this crop group, as shown in the following table: