Consultation on Ethephon and Its Associated End-use Products, Proposed Re evaluation Decision PRVD2018-01

Ethephon is a registered pesticide used only by agricultural workers. Ethephon releases ethylene gas, a natural plant hormone, to promote additional branching and flowering on greenhouse ornamentals. Ethephon is also applied as a broadcast foliar spray with ground, aerial, or backpack sprayer equipment and is used in a variety of crops including cereals, apples, sweet and sour cherries, blueberries, field tomatoes and tobacco. Ethephon product names include Base250, Ethrel, Cerone, Florel and Proxy (find full label names and labels for all registered products in the pesticide label search database.)

Following a scheduled re-evaluation under the Re-evaluation Program, Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) is consulting Canadians on proposed changes to the way ethephon can be used, to further protect health and the environment.

Due to health concerns, proposed changes include the following, with more described in the consultation document itself:

• Cancellation of uses on apple trees when fruit are present
• Additional required protective clothing and equipment during application
• Longer required wait times before workers can re-enter certain treated areas

For more information on the proposed decision open the “Proposed Re-evaluation Decision”.

How to Get Involved

This consultation is open for comment from 26 January 2018 to 26 April 2018 (90 calendar days).

To comment on PRVD2018-01:

Step 1  Request the full consultation document to read the Science Evaluation that is the basis of this proposed regulatory decision.

Step 2  Submit comments to the PMRA Publications Section.

All comments received will be considered. A final re-evaluation decision for ethephon will consider additional scientific information provided during the public comment period.

Please refer to the document title (for example: PRVD2018-01, Ethephon and Its Associated End-use Products) when providing comments.

Reporting to Canadians

Health Canada will make the results of this consultation available on this website. Once the decision on Ethephon and Its Associated End-use Products is finalized, the PMRA will post a Re-evaluation Decision on the Pesticides and Pest Management Reports and Publications portion of Health Canada’s website.

If you have any questions, contact the Pest Management Information Service.

Interested in our other consultations? Sign up and stay informed about topics that matter to you.