37 GERMINATION.CA NOVEMBER 2018 Did you know? Cescienihil molum conesequo explit optas dolupta quide di ne coremos nobis doleceptatur si qui ut expeleniet optatet a nullaut alit aut assitati voloriae. Nam et experumquid ex essum re sam solorec usamet eni cus ma volorpo ON NOV. 25, 2014, the Ontario govern- ment announced a 60 day public consultation on a proposal for regu- latory action in Ontario. The docu- ment: Pollinator Health: A Proposal for Enhancing Pollinator Health and Reducing the Use of Neonicotinoid Pesticides in Ontario has two main objectives: to reduce the over-winter honeybee mortality rate in Ontario to 15 per cent by 2020 and to reduce the number of corn and soybean acres in Ontario planted with neoni- cotinoid treated seed by 80 per cent by 2017. That very same day, Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency released pre- liminary results of its bee health monitoring project. PMRA found that the number of bee deaths reported during planting in Canada was down 70 per cent in 2014, compared to 2013. In Ontario, the number of inci- dents reported during planting was down 79 per cent. PMRA’s full report is available at www.hc-sc.gc.ca/cps- spc/pubs/pest/_factfiche/neonicoti- noid/neonicotinoid-eng.php. The Canadian Seed Trade Association immediately expressed its disappointment that the govern- ment of Ontario appeared to com- pletely disregard science with this proposal. In a CSTA news release, President Dave Baute said: “Seed suppliers and farmers were the first to take action when dust from the planting of treated seed was shown to have a negative impact on bees in Ontario and Quebec. The collabora- tion and commitment was unprec- edented. But all of that work and its positive results, as shown in PMRA’s assessment, seem to have been com- pletely ignored.” Shortly after Ontario’s announce- ment, Statistics Canada released its data on beekeeping, which showed that the number of bee colonies in Canada increased by four per cent in 2014 from 2013, and by 12 per cent from five years ago. In Ontario, the number of bee colonies in 2014 is 15.7 per cent higher than last year, and 25.7 per cent higher than five years ago. While the goal to substantially reduce overwintering bee losses in Ontario is commendable, CSTA and our partners in the value chain, including beekeepers, know that bee losses are the result of many factors. Insecticide use inside and outside of the hive is just one of those factors. Science shows that the use of insec- ticide-treated seed is consistent with best management practices to reduce the exposure of pollinators to insec- ticides and has actually enhanced environmental sustainability. Crop damaging insects thrive under these conditions, but seed- applied insecticides protect the seed and the emerging plant. Without them, Ontario farmers will have to return to tillage to control insects, which will result in increased green- house gas emissions — both from decreased soil carbon sequestration and increased fuel use — and will reduce soil health. It will also likely require the increased use of fertiliz- ers and might require a return to in-furrow and foliar applications of insecticides, which will have a negative impact on the environment. “The seed industry and the farmers it serves don’t take this ‘business’ of farming lightly,” says Baute. “It’s not just our business; it’s our way of life. We carry a heavy responsibility to produce high quality and affordable food for a growing world population in a way that minimizes risk. THENEEDFORSCIENCE-BASEDDECISIONS Mr. Seed Mann, Company Seeds president and CEO EROVITIO DOLUPITASSIT OMMOLUPTAE NE ODITIS INULLORIBUS DIT AUDAECTI. CDNSEED.ORG / CSI RANCONA ® TRIO. THREE POWERFUL FUNGICIDES. ONE AMAZING SEED TREATMENT. RANCONA® TRIO seed treatment for cereals takes disease protection and improved crop emergence to new levels. By combining three powerful fungicides that provide both contact and systemic activity, with the superior coverage and adhesion of RANCONA advanced flowable technology, you have a seed treatment that delivers more consistent protection under a wider range of conditions. Because when more seed treatment stays on the seed, you get more out of your seed treatment.To learn more, talk to your Arysta LifeScience representative or visit ranconatrio.ca. Always read and follow label directions. RANCONA is a registered trademark of an Arysta LifeScience Group Company. Arysta LifeScience and the Arysta LifeScience logo are registered trademarks of Arysta LifeScience Corporation. ©2017 Arysta LifeScience Group Company. RANC-031