--Application to the floor of dormant grape vineyards and apple and pear orchards to 

 control a variety of weeds. 



--Use in the practice of chemical fallow on soils to be planted to grain. 



The registered uses of amitrole in noncropland areas to control poison ivy and mari- 

 huana remain valid, and amitrole will still be available for these uses. 



A Scientific Advisory Committee pointed out that its recommendation was based on pol- 

 icy re-evaluation by regulatory agencies rather than on new evidence of residues or 

 harmful effects. 



The Committee report stated, "Although it seems highly unlikely that amitrole could 

 contaminate a human diet in sufficient quantities to produce cancer, the carcinogen- 

 icity of the chemical must necessarily influence the conclusions and recommendations 

 of the Committee." Amitrole has been found to be carcinogenic when administered to 

 rats in large doses. 



Crops from croplands that had been treated with amitrole products prior to cancella- 

 tion of registered uses may still be sold, if applications were made at rates and 

 times specified on the product label. 



BANVEL INJURY TO SOYBEANS 



We have had a number of soybean specimens that show dicamba (Banvel) injury and many 

 reports of dicamba injury to soybeans from the field this year. 



Typical dicamba injury symptoms are cupping and crinkling of leaves and failure of 

 top leaf buds to open and expand normally, giving a somewhat yellowish cast to the 

 field. Beans may also be shorter than normal. 



The major question is how much yields might be reduced. The answer depends on how 

 much dicamba reached the soybeans and when. The more dicamba, the greater the ef- 

 fect. Research suggests that contact during blooming can reduce yields more than 

 earlier prebloom contact. 



Yields are not always reduced as much as the appearance of the field might suggest. 

 However, yields can be reduced, sometimes significantly. Comparing pod and bean 

 counts per plant from an affected area with those from an unaffected area might give 

 some early indication of the magnitude of the problem. Usually, actual yield com- 

 parisons at harvest are best. 



Next year, consider atrazine for your smartweed problems. 



PESTICIDE USE SURVEY AVAILABLE 



The survey "Pesticide Use by Illinois Farmers, 1970" has been released and copies are 

 available from the Illinois Cooperative Crop Reporting Service, P.O. Box 429, Spring- 

 field, Illinois 62705. 



PLANT DISEASES 



PHYSODERMA ON CORN 



Under ideal conditions, Physoderma diseas on corn may reduce yields by 6 to 10 percent 

 in highly susceptible varieties. Physoderma lesions are very small and several hundred 



