Replacing Methyl Bromide

Georgia vegetable production in plasticulture currently accounts for a farm gate value of $300 million. Methyl bromide has been the standard means of pest control for many of these crops. A diverse team of University of Georgia and USDA faculty have developed an alternative to methyl bromide they termed as the UGA 3-WAY. This alternative system, including Telone II, chloropicrin, and metam, was used on 70 percent of Georgia's fumigated plasticulture acreage during 2010. Growers using this program produce yields similar to methyl bromide and reduce input costs by at least $150 per acre. These efforts have helped growers replace methyl bromide on 10,000 acres of land over the past four years, saving Georgia growers in excess of $1.5 million.