Judge delays enforcement of 'no-match' rule
U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer issued a temporary injunction last week blocking a Dept. of Homeland Security rule that would have resulted in the Social Security Admin. mailing about 140,000 no-match letters. The ruling was in response to a lawsuit brought by a group of unions and trade associations, including American Nursery & Landscape Assoc. The group sought a preliminary injunction against the rule on various grounds, including that the government violated the Regulatory Flexibility Act, which seeks to protect small business from overly burdensome regulation. Breyer determined that if the rule was enforced it "would result in irreparable harm to innocent workers and employers."
U.S. EPA approves methyl bromide alternative
U.S. EPA has approved a 1-year registration of iodomethane (methyl iodide) under highly restrictive provisions. Iodomethane is an alternative to the ozone-depleting pesticide methyl bromide. Iodomethane can be used as a pre-plant soil fumigant to control plant pathogens.
IGR may cause poinsettia leaf malformation
Upward leaf cupping on poinsettias can be caused by improper use of the insect growth regulator Distance, reports Leanne Pundt, Univ. of Conn. ext. hort. and greenhouse IPM specialist. The Distance label advises applicators that in a few instances, malformation of roots and newly expanded leaves has been observed on certain varieties (Freedom Bright and Bright Red, Winter Rose and Jingle Bells) following drench applications. Leaf malformation was more common on plants exposed to high air temperatures and on plants whose growing medium was allowed to dry out following application. New leaf malformation is permanent, but new growth is unaffected after plants are hydrated. Malformed leaves are generally not evident at time of shipment.
Griffin buys Penn State Seed
Griffin Greenhouse & Nursery Supplies, headquartered in Tewksbury, Mass., acquired the greenhouse and nursery supplies division of Penn State Seed Co. Penn State Seed's Mount Holly, N.J., and Bird-in-Hand, Pa., locations will now operate as Griffin Greenhouse & Nursery Supplies continuing to service these markets.
Agro Dynamics to operate as Grodan
Grodan, a worldwide supplier of stone wool substrate headquartered in Roermond, Netherlands, changed its N. American business model from distributor of greenhouse-related products to Grodan supplier. Its American subsidiary company Agro Dynamics Inc. will be known as Grodan Inc., which will focus on sales of substrates in N. America. The American subsidiary will discontinue being a distributor of hort. accessories.
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