The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and FMC Corporation have agreed to gradually phase out the use of granular carbofuran (FuradanŽ 5G) for rice water weevil control on rice in the United States. This action was initiated due to EPA's position that carbofuran granules represent a potential for unreasonable adverse effects to birds. Factors supporting this position, according to EPA, were the acute toxicity of the active ingredient to birds and the bird kill incidents associated with granular carbofuran use and misuse.

At the present time there are no chemical alternatives to granular carbofuran. The benefits of FuradanŽ granular products to the U.S. rice industry for rice water weevil management are estimated at $40 million annually. Because of these extenuating circumstances, EPA has agreed to reexamine its decision. The rice industry needs to assure EPA that it can continue to use granular carbofuran properly and in a manner that minimizes risk to birds and the environment. The following carbofuran use guidelines have been developed at the request of the U.S. Rice Environmental Committee.

	Treat only as needed as determined by field history and monitoring. Unnecessary treatments are costly, encourage insect resistance to carbofuran, increase risks to the environment and to birds, and may adversely affect the quality of public waters. Even small amounts of carbofuran are poisonous to waterfowl.
	Do not apply product at greater than label rates (0.5 lb ai/acre = 10 lb FuradanŽ 5G/acre).
	Apply product once per season.
	FuradanŽ 5G can be applied either preplant to fields with a history of rice water weevil damage, or postplant if field monitoring shows that rice water weevil damage exceeds the treatment threshold. Confine treatments to the parts of the field with rice water weevil damage. The most severe damage generally occurs in the first 15 to 20 feet from the field margins and levees.

Preplant
	Incorporate to a depth not greater than 2 inches prior to initial flood.
Postplant
	All postflood applications should be made after need has been determined with field monitoring; postflood treatments without field monitoring should be avoided.
	For field monitoring, examine the newest unfurled leaf of 100 plants for evidence of adult weevil feeding (longitudinal scars). Consult the second edition of University of California Integrated Pest Management for Rice (Publication 3280), UC IPM Pest Management Guidelines, or Cooperative Extension personnel for the latest field monitoring methods.
	Treatment is needed to avoid economic losses if at [a] 4-7 days after rice emergence through the water 20% of the newest unfurled leaves are scarred, [b] 11-14 days after rice emergence through the water 10% of the newest unfurled leaves are scarred, or [c] greater than 14 days after rice emergence through the water if plants are stunted and yellow and roots are damaged significantly.
	Drain (complying with appropriate water holding periods) so that all puddles have dissipated and water saturation is 1-2 inches below the soil surface; apply carbofuran and immediately reflood.

	Applications to flooded fields are illegal and do not provide acceptable rice water weevil control.
	Confine granular carbofuran applications to field areas. Cut off applications to avoid treating adjacent roads, field drains, banks, levees, and non-target areas. Ground applications will provide more precise carbofuran placement.
	The water holding period for carbofuran in most fields is 28 days following flooding or application. Consult County Agricultural Commissioner for other water holding restrictions.
	Apply carbofuran only when conditions are calm to prevent drift out of basins.

Use common sense and caution when handling or applying granular carbofuran. This insecticide is an excellent integrated pest management tool in rice; please handle and apply it properly so the rice industry can continue to benefit from its use. Contact your Cooperative Extension Farm Advisor or Pest Control Advisor with questions or problems.
DO NOT USE GRANULAR CARBOFURAN FOR PURPOSES OTHER THAN THOSE STATED ON THE PRODUCT LABEL.

IMMEDIATELY CLEAN UP GRANULAR CARBOFURAN SPILLS:

	Obtain decontamination information from FMC Corporation.
	Loading sites should be free of vegetation and not adjacent to duck clubs or rice fields to be flooded for hunting without approval of Agricultural Commissioner.
	Ground application equipment should be loaded in an area which will be flooded; each refill should be in a different location in the field; clean all spilled material or load material on tarp-covered ground.
	Contact County Agricultural Commissioner for other restrictions on carbofuran loading sites.

Authors:

	* L.D. Godfrey is Extension Entomologist and D. Palrang is Post Graduate Researcher, Department of Entomology, UC Davis
	D.M. Brandon is Director, Rice Experiment Station, California Cooperative Rice Research Foundation, Inc., Biggs
	J. E. Hill is Extension Agronomist, Department of Agronomy and Range Science, UC Davis
	S.C. Scardaci, C.M. Wick, J. F. Williams are Farm Advisors, UC Cooperative Extension, Colusa County, Butte County, and Sutter-Yuba County, respectively.

Modified: 10 Sep 1998 Comments to jayoung@ucdavis.edu