Changes to the registration of ethephon pesticides
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Organization: Health Canada
Date published: November 2023
ISBN: 978-0-660-67664-7
All pesticides used in Canada must be registered under the Pest Control Products Act. Pesticides are re-evaluated to ensure that they continue to meet health and environmental requirements. Re-evaluation may result in the revocation of a product or product uses. Health Canada may also request changes to a product's label, including mitigation measures, use sites and application methods.
Ethephon is a plant growth regulator. It accelerates fruit ripening/maturity and plant growth and development through the release of ethylene gas, a natural plant hormone. The highlights of the re-evaluation decision for the active ingredient ethephon, published on September 24, 2020, are summarized below.
Label changes for ethephon pesticides, as of September 24, 2022
Cancelled use
Stop use on fruiting apple trees (use in the absence of fruit continues)
Other risk reduction measures
- Addition to the required personal protective equipment (PPE) and engineering protection measures during mixing, loading and application, depending on the sprayer type
- Restriction of quantities of product to be handled per day
- Extended restricted-entry intervals (REI)
- Added statements to reduce human exposure to spray drift or spray residue
- Addition of environmental hazard statements for birds and mammals
- Addition of statements relating to the use of buffer zones in terrestrial environments
- Addition of statements relating to protection against runoff into aquatic environments, including the recommendation of a vegetative filter strip
Users must follow the instructions on the updated labels.
Using a pesticide contrary with the label directions is a violation of the Pest Control Products Act.
Read the label
All pesticides registered in Canada have a Health Canada-approved label with a registration number. Read the pesticide label carefully, as it contains specific information on how to use it.
To find the most up-to-date label, use our online label search tool, or search for "Health Canada pesticide labels" using your favourite search engine.
For more information
Re-evaluation Decision RVD2020-09, Ethephon and its associated end-use products
The Health Canada-approved label is the official document for enforcement purposes. In the event of any discrepancy with the contents of this factsheet, the information on the label shall prevail.
Health Canada's Pesticide Compliance Program (PCP) is responsible for the enforcement of the Pest Control Products Act.