New tools, methods needed to replace methyl bromide

s supplies of methyl bromide dwindle and A prices rise, UC researchers have been racing against time to find workable, economically viable alternatives for crops that will be affected. Methyl bromide, a widely used fumigant, is scheduled for a complete phase-out by Jan. 1, 2005, in accordance with the Montreal Protocol (a global treaty to control ozone depletion) and the U.S. Clean Air Act. California regulators have also limited methyl bromide’s use in recent years due to air quality and health concerns. About 16 million pounds have been applied annually in California. Methyl bromide supplies were reduced to 50% of the 1991 baseline on Jan. 1,2001, and will drop by 75% in 2003. ”The first real crunch will come in late summer and fall. We’re not going to have enough material to go around,” says agricultural consultant Gary Obenauf, chair of the International Conference on Methyl Bromide Alternatives and Emission Reductions, which is held annually in California or Florida. For decades, methyl bromide has been an effective and reliable preplant soil treatment for