Florida Approves Reduced Buffer Zone for Curfew

Dow AgroSciences received approval from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (DACS) to reduce the buffer zone for Curfew soil fumigant to 30 feet from occupied structures.

The buffer zone for Curfew was requested by Florida golf course superintendents and authorized custom applicators, says Dennis Lane, marketing specialist for Curfew.

“The approved 30-foot buffer zone means Florida golf course superintendents now have greater flexibility to protect their turf — especially in critical areas, such as tees and greens. We’ve seen situations where CURFEW could only be applied to a portion of a green, for example, which resulted in a visible difference in turf between the treated and untreated portions,” Lane says.

Lane says Florida DACS approved the label change after the agency reviewed refinements in estimates of exposure by Dow AgroSciences and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Dow AgroSciences will now request a similar reduction in buffer zone distance by seven other states where Curfew soil fumigant has a Section 24(c) label — Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana and Texas.

In Florida, Curfew soil fumigant has now been used for seven years, Lane says. By controlling nematodes, Curfew promotes healthier turf root systems to increase uptake of nutrients and reduce water requirements by as much as 50 percent. Curfew also provides contact control of mole crickets and Japanese beetle grubs.

The Curfew Section 24(c) label allows application on golf course fairways, roughs, tees and greens, as well as on athletic fields. Curfew soil fumigant is a Restricted Use Pesticide, and can only be applied by custom applicators authorized by Dow AgroSciences and using approved equipment.