WILMINGTON, DE— The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has approved and posted Ashland Inc.’s petition under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act for its agrimer eco-coat polymer seed coating, the company announced.
The approval allows the ingredient to be used in food and non-food pesticide formulations under federal regulation 40 CFR 180.960, which lists substances exempt from tolerance requirements. A tolerance exemption means the EPA has determined that residues of the substance do not require a maximum legal limit on food.
The petition was filed under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, or FIFRA, the law that governs the registration, distribution and use of pesticides in the United States.
Ashland said the EPA’s posting of the food-use tolerance exemption enables U.S. growers to buy, sell and test products containing the agrimer eco-coat polymer seed coating. The product has previously been approved in regions including Latin America and Europe, according to the company.
The agrimer eco-coat polymer is based on Ashland’s Transformed Vegetable Oils technology platform. The company describes the ingredient as biodegradable and free of microplastics.
Seed coatings are applied to seeds before planting and can help deliver crop protection products or other treatments directly to the seed. Ashland said the product is intended for use across vegetable, grain, fruit and floral crops.
The company did not disclose financial terms or provide a timeline for commercial rollout beyond the regulatory approval.
For the latest news on everything happening in Chester County and the surrounding area, be sure to follow MyChesCo on Google News and MSN.