Permission Granted For New Potato Protector

A new herbicide that controls potato weeds, like black nightshade, has been approved for use in New Zealand, subject to conditions.

Boxer Gold contains the active ingredient prosulfocarb, which is new to New Zealand, but already approved in the European Union, Australia, and Japan.

Benefits identified in the application process for this product include reduced resistance in weeds, leading to bigger potato crops, and more product choice for farmers.

A number of controls, or rules, have been set around the use of this product. These include that it can only be applied once a year, and only on non-windy days. A buffer zone of five metres must be maintained to protect against spray drift into waterways.

This herbicide can only be applied by professional users, via methods such as tractor-driven boom spray.

Boxer Gold was approved following the EPA’s first ever fully online hearing for a new hazardous substance.

Read the full decision on Boxer Gold

Watch this short video to learn how the EPA makes decisions about hazardous substances and new organisms

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