Gov't putting aspergillus on peanuts as pesticide??

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Aspergillus flavus NRRL 21882; Notice of Filing a Pesticide

Petition to Establish a Tolerance for a Certain Microbial Pesticide in

or on Food

http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-PEST/2004/March/Day-17/p6002.htm

Product Name and Proposed Use Practices

Aspergillus flavus NRRL 21882 is a naturally occurring fungus that

does not produce aflatoxin even though it is an Aspergillus flavus

fungal strain. Its application to soil around peanut plants, results in

significant reductions in aflatoxin contamination of peanuts. The

reduction in aflatoxin contamination is a form of biological control

that is achieved by competitive exclusion, i.e., the nontoxigenic

strain applied to the field exclude native, toxigenic strains from

infecting and growing in peanuts. This benefit is realized without

increasing the overall concentration Aspergillus flavus in the

environment in the long term. Similarly, the total concentration of

Aspergillus flavus found in the peanuts is not increased above

naturally occurring levels when the product is used as directed.

Conidia of Aspergillus flavus NRRL 21882 are coated onto the surface of

hulled barley and this product is applied to the soil at a proposed use

rate of 20 pound product/acre for the end use product, Afla-Guard\TM\

(0.002 pound active ingredient/acre). The product is applied once

during the season, typically 40 to 80 days after planting, using a

Gandy box or similar device fitted to a tractor. Peanuts are harvested

approximately 2 to 3 months after the target treatment period.