Corn herbicide with active ingredient banned

MADISON, Wis — Wisconsin agriculture officials say corn herbicides containing isoxaflutole can't be sold or used in Wisconsin.

Lori Bowman is director of the Bureau of Agrichemical Management. She says there's been some recent misinformation that led agribusinesses and farmers to believe otherwise. Bowman says "Balance", "Corvus", and other products with this active ingredient are not registered for sale or use in Wisconsin.

Isoxaflutole containing pesticides were originally registered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in the early 2000s for use in some states. But, Wisconsin was not one of the states because of concerns about surface and groundwater contamination and potential effects on other crops, including vegetables.

The company that makes the products, Bayer CropScience, recently withdrew its application to register the products in Wisconsin.