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 board met eight times (statute requires at least four meetings a year) and solicited input from university researchers, seed industry representatives, and officials from Quebec and Ontario. The board compiled its work into the 2023 and 2024 annual reports and an appendix of proposed BMPs for neonic‑treated seed.

On monitoring and thresholds, AIB found practical limits to scouting: purchasing of seed often happens months before planting, so pre‑purchase scouting may not influence seed choices. For one of the principal target pests of treated corn seed, the corn seed maggot, AIB found few scouting methods and no established economic threshold; professor Heather Darby at UVM is working with Cornell to improve prediction of corn seed maggot emergence and pressure. Griffith said there is no insecticide “rescue treatment” for damage from that pest — replanting is the only option once damage occurs.

Seed availability and farm practice AIB members told the committee that non‑neonic seed availability is limited and constraining seed choices could reduce farmer flexibility to adjust maturities or traits closer to planting. The board also noted conservation tillage practices can affect pest habitat: no‑till is generally less attractive to corn seed maggot because it limits exposed, decomposing organic matter.

Toxicity, regulatory alignment and seed coatings Griffith summarized AIB review of toxicity and exposure pathways. A board member from the state health department reviewed the EPA human‑health risk assessment for imidacloprid; Griffith said imidacloprid is one of three neonic active ingredients currently undergoing EPA registration review, and the EPA reviews may lead to mandatory label statements or restrictions. AIB also reviewed evidence of dust generated during planting of treated corn and soybean seed contributing to honeybee mortalities in past situations and recommended further Vermont‑specific research on dust generation and mitigation. Griffith noted the Canadian Pest Management Regulatory Agency has prohibited talc and graphite as seed lubricants, and seed industry speakers reported ongoing coating improvements that reduce dust.

BMPs and rulemaking choices AIB recommended that BMPs be grounded in IPM principles — monitoring, thresholds where appropriate, cultural practices such as crop rotation, and mitigation measures — and that the formal rule language avoid embedding specific numeric thresholds so guidance can be updated as research yields new results. Griffith said the board reviewed and accepted the proposed rule language drafted by the agency and recommended a companion guidance document that could include examples and habitat information for pollinator support.

Other topics in the annual report and next steps The board also heard updates and made recommendations on related issues: the Vermont Center for Ecostudies (contracted for additional on‑farm wild pollinator research), UVM Extension pollinator guidance tools, PFAS policy discussions, microplastics research, and drone use in agriculture. AIB plans to begin learning about agricultural plastic disposal and alternatives after survey responses flagged farm plastic waste as a top environmental concern among farmers. Griffith said meeting materials and formal reports are posted online and meetings are recorded.

Ending: public access and follow‑up Griffith told the committee the 2024 annual report (including the BMP appendix) is posted on the committee page under reports and resources and the AIB’s next meeting will include further discussion of agricultural plastic recycling pilots and research findings.