Treating seeds with pesticides has become a common agricultural practice to improve seed quality by reducing soil borne diseases and by discouraging insects or other pests. The Office of Pesticide Programs routinely conducts ecological effects assessments for pesticides used as seed treatments.

The purpose of this document is to clarify EFED’s current policy for conducting risk assessments for pesticides used as seed treatments.

• Refinements for Risk Assessment of Pesticide Treated Seeds – Interim Guidance 2016 (PDF)(12 pp, 247 K, April 1, 2016)
  The purpose of this document is to clarify EFED’s current policy for conducting risk assessments for pesticides used as seed treatments, to ensure that appropriate risk assessment methodologies are used, and to provide potential options for refinements. Furthermore, the purpose of this interim guidance is to ensure that certain factors, such as soil incorporation of pesticide treated seeds, are used in a scientifically valid and consistent manner across EFED risk assessments.