Fumigant search continues

Strawberry Fields? Kerry Langlands uses chloropicrin to fumigate his crop. Photo: Danella Bevis

06-08-2009
Horticulture | Lauren Celenza

Strawberry growers are still waiting for effective alternative chemicals to the fumigant, methyl bromide.

Methyl bromide's ease of application and ability to control diseases, insects, nematodes and weeds under a wide range of soil and climatic conditions made it a widely used fumigant in horticulture until its ban in 2005.

Despite moving away from using the ozone-depleting chemical, growers say that an effective alternative has yet to be found.
Wanneroo strawberry grower Kerry Langlands uses chloropicrin to fumigate his strawberries.

"Methyl bromide has been phased out but there is still some around. It's a toxic product and should not be used in food production," he said.

The application of methyl bromide is only possible under critical-use exemptions, however, some nurseries are still using the fumigant.

"There is minimal use of it in WA - most producers use chloropicrin and Telone, which are not as effective as methyl bromide," Kerry said.

Five years of trials have shown that methyl iodide, also known as iodomethane, works well for runner growers, but a product is not yet fully registered.