US environmental regulators have approved a new pesticide for use on a wide range of food crops. This means farmers can now spray their fields with florylpicoxamid, a chemical designed to protect against fungal diseases.
Why it matters
Every new pesticide approval means a new set of chemicals enters the food supply and the environment. This particular approval covers many common crops, from fruits and vegetables to grains. It also means the company that makes it, Corteva Agriscience, can now sell this product to farmers across the country.
The signal
Watch for the first reports on how widely this new pesticide is adopted by farmers and any subsequent studies on its environmental impact or presence in food products.