MULTAN, Dec 10: Punjab has opposed registration of three popular wheat herbicides on the free-for-all-to-import category (form-16) on the pretext that this can cause ‘phytotoxicity’ that will, consequently, result in low per acre yield.

The three popular herbicides are Fenoxaprop-p-Ethyle 10pc EC, 7.5EW, MCPA 500g/l SL, EC and Clodinafop propargyl 15pc WP. Currently, these herbicides are on the list of products registered under brand names (form-1).

State Minister Sikander Hayat Bosan, however, announced on December 4 in a press conference that the three popular herbicides were being brought on form-16 in order to ensure their availability in abundance and, that too, on relatively cheap price to the wheat growers.

But, in a recent communication with Minfal a top-level Punjab agriculture department official has showed concerns over the federal government’s move to put the three herbicides on form-16. The official stated in the communication that weedicides/herbicides were specific chemicals that destroyed selective weeds and a minor lapse in their manufacturing and use could cause phytotoxicity (harmfulness to plants). He further stated that the issue of weedicides was somewhat complicated as compared to the pesticides/insecticides and, therefore, needed to be handled with care.

He said that safeners, adjuvants and solvents played a major role in formulation of weedicides and their safe and selective action. “Any variation can prove harmful to the yield,” he added. The official cited example of some products registered under form-17 and imported in the country but it took several years to the importing firm(s) to get rid of their toxic effects. “I therefore request to (re)consider the issue in a meeting of experts to arrive at a consensus decision,” the official concluded.

It is, however, interesting that the Punjab agriculture department has taken shelter of form-17 while opposing registration of the three herbicides under form-16. It may added here that the form-17 is meant for new molecular chemistries in the field of pesticides and herbicides that are not previously registered in Pakistan but are in use in Europe, America and China.

But, the products that are placed on form-16 under generic names are usually those that have already been in use in the country under brand names (form-1) and their patent rights have also been elapsed, such as the case is of the three wheat herbicides. They are popular chemistries for the last more than a decade but are out of the reach of a majority of the wheat growers for being expensive. Growers’ organizations are of the view that the herbicides will be available to the farmers on a competitive price after being allowed to import under generic names to all the interested importers.

Previously, the Minfal has placed several products on form-16 from form-1 without going into any controversy. These products are included Bromoxynil and Isoproturon for wheat, Emetryn and Atrazine for sugarcane and Pendimethalin and Trifluralin for cotton.

On one hand, the Punjab agriculture department is opposing the federal government’s move to liberalize import of the herbicides, while on the other it has launched an extensive print and electronic media campaign to motivate the wheat growers to use herbicides to get better per acre yield. In a letter to the wheat herbicide importers, the same Punjab agriculture department’s top official urged them to import additional quantity of the herbicides as their expected inventory could meet the requirement of an area of 2.4 million acres against the estimated application of herbicides this year over an area of 6 million acres. “I am afraid that if the demand and supply gap is not mended immediately, it would undermine the efforts of the (Punjab agriculture) department to increase production of the wheat,” he feared in the letter.