Features Agronomy Storage
Canola Council of Canada issues malathion alert

July 10, 2008

Winnipeg, MB  -Keep the insecticide malathion far away from bins slotted for canola storage this fall. Malathion is not registered to treat bins that will store canola or to control insects in stored canola, the Canola Council of Canada reminds growers.

If a bin has been treated with malathion, it cannot be used to store canola for at least six months because malathion applied to bin walls or directly to seed will inevitably move into the seed, adds Arvel Lawson, program manager for crop production.

She warns that malathion residues detected in canola exported out of Canada could cost the industry, including farmers, millions of dollars in lost business.

“Every country that buys Canadian canola sets limits on pesticide residues, and exceeding those limits means rejected shipments and increased testing requirements,” says Lawson.

If growers start by thoroughly sweeping out bins before harvest, canola that is reasonably free of chaff, other seeds and foreign material, and kept below 15°C and 8% moisture, should store well and remain insect-free.

The Canola Council has produced bin stickers to help identify bins that have not been treated with malathion.

For more information on these stickers or proper canola storage, go to www.canolacouncil.org.