Bayer’s herbicide Esplanade 200SC recently received the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Section 18 approval for the state of Nevada. Section 18 allows an Emergency Exemptions for unregistered uses of pesticides to address emergency conditions. Under such an exemption, EPA allows limited use of the pesticide in defined geographic areas for a finite time once EPA confirms that the situation meets that statutory definition of "emergency condition."
Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) Section 18 authorizes the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to allow a federal or state agency the ability to grant the use of a pesticide product without registration, if an emergency condition exists. “What the section 18 allows is for application of esplanade on areas grazed by livestock,” said Harry Quicke, Western Rangeland Stewardship team leader for the product. “Esplanade is already labeled for use in areas that are not grazed by livestock such as industrial areas, roadsides, right of ways and certain types of natural areas such as parks, open space or prior rehabilitation areas,” he said.
According to Bayer’s Stewardship Guide, Esplanade 200SC,or Esplanade, is a “restoration herbicide” which can be used for long-term control of certain types of invasive and noxious vegetation such as cheatgrass, ventenata, and medusa head.
“A huge reason to control annual invasive species is to reduce fire risk,” Quicke said. Annual invasive species contribute to increased wildfires, damage crops, threaten open spaces, natural and wildlife areas. Annual grasses like cheatgrass dry out prior to fire season and may be contributing to larger scale fires that occur more frequently. One study conducted in 2012 showed that of the 50 biggest fires in the Great Basin between 1980 and 2009, 39 of them involved cheatgrass. "What we found was that cheatgrass actually doubles the likelihood of fire; that it burns twice as much as any other vegetation type — native vegetation type — in the Great Basin," Lead researcher Jennifer Balach said in an interview when the study was published in 2012.
Bayer has conducted field trials in Nevada particularly in Humboldt County. These trials have been successful in showing the effectiveness of the herbicide in long-term control if applied properly. According to the company’s stewardship guide, a single application of Esplanade can prevent germination of annual grasses for multiple years. Bayer recommends applying Esplanade prior to rainfall or other precipitation events.
The label also cautions not to allow livestock to graze for two weeks or harvest vegetation where Esplanade has been applied.
According to Bayer Area Sales Manager Gabe Ludwig, Esplanade is available through approved agents who are authorized to distribute to end-users. “Purchasers of the product are not allowed to acquire, mark up, and resale Esplanade 200SC. This insures we are able to accurately track and report the use of Esplanade for Section 18 uses in Nevada.”
