BC Growers Association

 
 

AVID

I was told to mix at a rate up to 16 - 20 drops per gallon. Also told not to use a surfactant. Finally, I was told that it remains active in the plant for up to 6 weeks. The following is some additional info I found on the net someplace.
 
 

Trade and Other Names: Abamectin is also known as Avermectin B1a. Trade
   names include Affirm, Agri-Mek, Avermectin, Avid, MK 936, Vertimec, and
   Zephyr.

   Regulatory Status: Abamectin is a General Use Pesticide (GUP). It is
   classified as toxicity class IV - practically nontoxic, and has no
   precautionary statement on its label.

   Chemical Class: antibiotic

   Introduction: Abamectin is a mixture of avermectins containing about 80%
   avermectin B1a and 20% avermectin B1b. These two components, B1a and B1b,
   have very similar biological and toxicological properties. The avermectins
   are antibiotic compounds derived from the soil bacterium Streptomyces
   avermitilis. Abamectin is a natural fermentation product of this bacterium.
   It acts as an insecticide by affecting the nervous system of and paralyzing
   insects. Abamectin is used to control insect and mite pests of citrus,
   pear, and nut tree crops, and it is used by homeowners for control of fire
   ants.

   Formulation: Not Available

   Toxicological Effects:

   * Acute toxicity: Abamectin is highly toxic to insects and may be highly
   toxic to mammals as well [141]. Emulsifiable concentrate formulations
   may cause slight to moderate eye irritation and mild skin irritation
   [8]. Symptoms of poisoning observed in laboratory animals include
   pupil dilation, vomiting, convulsions and/or tremors, and coma
   [141,142]. Abamectin acts on insects by interfering with the nervous
   system. At very high doses, it can affect mammals, causing symptoms of
   nervous system depression such as incoordination, tremors, lethargy,
   excitation, and pupil dilation. Very high doses have caused death from
   respiratory failure [143]. Abamectin is not readily absorbed through
   skin. Tests with monkeys show that less than 1% of dermally applied
   abamectin was absorbed into the bloodstream through the skin [141].
   Abamectin does not cause allergic skin reactions [142]. The oral LD50
   for abamectin in rats is 10 mg/kg, and in mice ranges from 14 mg/kg to
   greater than 80 mg/kg [141,142]. The oral LD50 for the product Avid EC
   in rats is 650 mg/kg [8]. The dermal LD50 for technical abamectin in
   rats and rabbits is greater than 330 mg/kg [144].
   * Chronic toxicity: In a 1-year study with dogs given oral doses of
   abamectin, dogs at the 0.5 and 1 mg/kg/day doses exhibited pupil
   dilation, weight loss, lethargy, tremors, and recumbency [141].
   Similar results were seen in a 2-year study with rats fed 0.75, 1.5,
   or 2 mg/kg/day. Rats at all the dosage levels exhibited body weight
   gains significantly higher than the controls. A few individuals in the
   high dose group exhibited tremors [141]. When mice were fed 8
   mg/kg/day for 94 weeks, the males developed dermatitis and changes in
   blood formation in the spleen, while females exhibited tremors and
   weight loss [142].
   * Reproductive effects: Rats given 0.40 mg/kg/day of abamectin had
   increased stillbirths, decreased pup viability, decreased lactation,
   and decreased pup weights [142]. These data suggest that abamectin may
   have the protential to cause reproductive effects at high enough
   doses.
   * Teratogenic effects: Abamectin produced cleft palate in the offspring
   of treated mice and rabbits, but only at doses that were also toxic to
   the mothers [141]. There were no birth defects in the offspring of
   rats given up to 1 mg/kg/day [142]. Abamectin is unlikely to cause
   teratogenic effects except at doses toxic to the mother.
   * Mutagenic effects: Abamectin does not appear to be mutagenic.
   Mutagenicity tests in live rats and mice were negative. Abamectin was
   shown to be nonmutagenic in the Ames test [1].
   * Carcinogenic effects: Abamectin is not carcinogenic in rats or mice.
   The rats were fed dietary doses of up to 2 mg/kg/day for 24 months,
   and the mice were up to 8 mg/kg/day for 22 months [141]. These
   represent the maximum tolerated doses.
   * Organ toxicity: Animal studies indicate that abamectin may affect the
   nervous system.

   * Fate in humans and animals: Tests with laboratory animals show that
   ingested avermectin B1a is not readily absorbed into the bloodstream
   by mammals and that it is rapidly eliminated from the body within 2
   days via the feces [142]. Rats given single oral doses of avermectin
   B1a excreted 69 to 82% of the dose unchanged in the feces. The average
   half-life of avermectin B1a in rat tissue is 1.2 days [144]. Lactating
   goats given daily oral doses for 10 days excreted 89% of the
   administered avermectin, mainly in the feces. Less than 1% was
   recovered in the urine [144].

   Ecological Effects:

   * Effects on birds: Abamectin is practically nontoxic to birds [142].
   The LD50 for abamectin in bobwhite quail is >2000 mg/kg. The dietary
   LC50 is 3102 ppm in bobwhite quail [145]. There were no adverse
   effects on reproduction when mallard ducks were fed dietary doses of
   3, 6, or 12 ppm for 18 weeks [145].
   * Effects on aquatic organisms: Abamectin is highly toxic to fish and
   extremely toxic to aquatic invertebrates [142]. Its LC50 (96-hour) is
   0.003 mg/L in rainbow trout, 0.0096 mg/L in bluegill sunfish, 0.015
   mg/L in sheepshead minnows, 0.024 mg/L in channel catfish, and 0.042
   mg/L in carp. Its 48-hour LC50 in Daphnia magna, a small freshwater
   crustacean, is 0.003 mg/L. The 96-hour LC50 for abamectin is 0.0016
   mg/L in pink shrimp, 430 mg/L in eastern oysters, and 153 mg/L in blue
   crab [145]. While highly toxic to aquatic organisms, actual
   concentrations of abamectin in surface waters adjacent to treated
   areas are expected to be low. Abamectin did not bioaccumulate in
   bluegill sunfish exposed to 0.099 ug/L for 28 days in a flow-through
   tank. The levels in fish were from 52 to 69 times the ambient water
   concentration, indicating that abamectin does not accumulate or
   persist in fish [145].
   * Effects on other organisms: Abamectin is highly toxic to bees, with a
   24-hour contact LC50 of 0.002 ug/bee and an oral LD50 of 0.009 ug/bee
   [145].

   Environmental Fate:

   * Breakdown in soil and groundwater: Abamectin is rapidly degraded in
   soil. At the soil surface, it is subject to rapid photodegradation,
   with half-lives of 8 hours to 1 day reported [142,145]. When applied
   to the soil surface and not shaded, its soil half-life is about 1
   week. Under dark, aerobic conditions, the soil half-life was 2 weeks
   to 2 months [142]. Loss of abamectin from soils is thought to be due
   to microbial degradation. The rate of degradation was significantly
   decreased under anaerobic conditions [145]. Because abamectin is
   nearly insoluble in water and has a strong tendency to bind to soil
   particles, it is immobile in soil and unlikely to leach or contaminate
   groundwater [145]. Compounds produced by the degradation of abamectin
   are also immobile and unlikely to contaminate groundwater [145].
   * Breakdown in water: Abamectin is rapidly degraded in water. After
   initial distribution, its half-life in artificial pond water was 4
   days. Its half-life in pond sediment was 2 to 4 weeks [145]. It
   undergoes rapid photodegradation, with a half-life of 12 hours in
   water [142]. When tested at pH levels common to surface and
   groundwater (pH 5, 7, and 9), abamectin did not hydrolyze [145].
   * Breakdown in vegetation: Plants do not absorb abamectin from the soil
   [145]. Abamectin is subject to rapid degradation when present as a
   thin film, as on treated leaf surfaces. Under laboratory conditions
   and in the presence of light, its half-life as a thin film was 4 to 6
   hours [145].

   Physical Properties:

   * Appearance: Abamectin is a colorless to yellowish crystalline powder
   [1].
   * Chemical Name: avermectin B1
   * CAS Number: 71751-41-2 (avermectin B1a and avermectin B1b) [1]
   * Molecular Weight: 873.11
   * Water Solubility: Insoluble [1]
   * Solubility in Other Solvents: v.s. in acetone, methanol, toluene,
   chloroform, and ethanol [1]
   * Melting Point: 150-155 C [1]
   * Vapor Pressure: Negligible [1]
   * Partition Coefficient: Not Available
   * Adsorption Coefficient: 5000 (estimated) [53]

   Exposure Guidelines:

   * ADI: 0.0001 mg/kg/day [12]
   * MCL: Not Available
   * RfD: 0.0004 mg/kg/day [13]
   * PEL: Not Available
   * HA: Not Available
   * TLV: Not Available

   Basic Manufacturer:

   Merck Agvet
   Division of Merck and Co., Inc.
   P.O. Box 2000
   Rahway, NJ 07065

   * Phone: 908-855-4277
   * Emergency: Not Available

   References:

   References for the information in this PIP can be found in Reference List
   Number 10

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   DISCLAIMER: The information in this profile does not in any way replace or
   supersede the information on the pesticide product labeling or other
   regulatory requirements. Please refer to the pesticide product labeling.
 
 
 
 

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