The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MOECC) recently announced new regulations relating to neonicotinoids (or neonics) that will take effect July 1, 2015. According to the MOECC, “Ontario will be the first jurisdiction in North America to protect bees and other pollinators through new rules to reduce the number of acres planted with neonicotinoid-treated corn and soybean seeds by 80 per cent by 2017.”
The MOECC states that the new requirements will be put in place for “the sale and use of neonicotinoid-treated corn and soybean seed that will help ensure treated seed is only used when there is evidence of a pest problem.” This new requirement is part of Ontario’s plan to “improve pollinator health.” This new regulation will have an immediate impact (next growing season) on Ontario’s agriculture sector.
What Are Neonicotinoids?
Neonicotinoids are a class of pesticides used to systemically treat plants. They were developed in the 1980s and commercially available since the 1990s. Soybean and corn seeds are commonly coated with neonics. And, according to an article in the Journal of Applied Ecology, “Neonicotinoids are now the most widely used insecticides in the world.”
Neonics and Bee Colony Collapse
Neonicotinoids, according to some, can negatively impact pollinators and may be associated with bee-colony collapse. The health of bees is important for agricultural interests around the world. Locally, the University of Gelph’s Nigel Raine studies the potential correlation between bee populations and pesticides. According to Raine, “One of the potential culprits for bee declines, the neonicotinoid pesticides, ha[s] received a great deal of recent attention. These insecticides kill pest insects by affecting their nervous system, but can also impair the behaviour of beneficial insects, such as bees.”
The Property Environmental Research Center (United States) has a different take. “There are more honeybee colonies in the United States today than there were when colony collapse disorder began in 2006. In fact, according to data released in March by the Department of Agriculture, U.S. honeybee-colony numbers are now at a 20-year high.”
Dr. Lena Wilfert of the University of Exeter (United Kingdom) believes the reason behind the collapse could lie with two viruses — the Deformed Wing Virus and the Black Queen Cell Virus, which are spread by the Varroa Mite.
Agriculture will feel the impact of the regulation for the 2016 growing season
The current studies aside, Ontario’s agricultural producers, who may be using neonicotinoid-treated corn and soybean seeds, need to get very familiar with the timetable for the rollout of the new neonicotonoid regulation. This regulation will impact the 2016 growing season, and, for some farmers, it will require new certifications. For more information, see the Ontario Federation of Agriculture’s “OFA Statement on Neonicotinoid Regulation.”
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