Agricultural Innovation Board endorses IPM‑centered BMPs for neonic treated seeds and neonic pesticides

Morton Griffith, agri removal program manager with the Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets, told legislators the Agricultural Innovation Board’s 2024 annual report recommends best management practices centered on integrated pest management for neonic‑treated seeds and neonic pesticides and that the board reviewed and accepted the agency’s proposed rule language.

“The proposed rule references back to the definition that’s in the Vermont rule for controlled pesticides,” Griffith said, saying the rule’s IPM definition incorporates components of EPA and USDA working definitions and was shaped during the pesticide rule public comment period.

The nut graf: The board’s recommendations aim to reduce non‑target pollinator exposure while preserving farmer flexibility. AIB members prioritized BMPs grounded in IPM, but asked that specific numeric thresholds and detailed guidance be kept out of rule text so they can be updated quickly as research advances; instead the board recommended a companion guidance document with changeable, example‑level detail.

AIB’s approach and findings AIB members met frequently in 2023–24 to develop recommendations and gather outside expertise, Griffith said. In 2024 the…