Cancellation of Dyrene Fungicide

Several weeks ago, Miles Inc. (known until 1992 as Mobay Corp.) notified EPA that it intends to voluntarily cancel registration of all its fungicide products containing the active ingredient anilazine. The reason the company cited was that the projected costs of re-registering anilazine products (as required under the FIFRA legislation) was too high to justify reregistration.

Anilazine is a broad-spectrum fungicide, sold by Miles under the trade name Dyrene, and by several other companies under a variety of trade names. Anilazine has been labeled on the following crops: celery, green onion, strawberry, cucumber, summer squash, potato, tomato, turfgrass, and gladiolus.

It is probable that existing stocks of anilazine-containing fungicides will continue to be legal to sell and use. When EPA action on the cancellation request is announced, a date will be specified after which the material cannot be sold.

This is one of the first major fungicides to be dropped because of the expense of reregistration, rather than because of allegations of health risk. Others are likely to follow as the reregistration process continues. The largest impact of the loss of anilazine is likely to be in the turf industry, where anilazine products were used most extensively .

This article originally appeared in the May 6, 1992 issue, p. 76.