In her mancozeb update, Katie Gold at Cornell University provided a synopsis of the current situation and the Environmental Protection Agency’s activities and research efforts for mancozeb replacement, if necessary. It will likely be a matter of two to three years before any final decisions are made on whether mancozeb will be available at all — or available with new mitigations — for grape production. As she mentions, trials are being conducted in Georgia to gather information on potential mancozeb replacement options, and these trials are being replicated elsewhere.
“The goal of this work is not to suggest that any single material is a direct one-for-one replacement of mancozeb. Rather, the goal is to identify realistic management systems that could help growers maintain disease control if mancozeb access is restricted in the future,” Gold wrote in her report. “This will be especially important for early-season black rot and downy mildew management, resistance management and vineyards where broad spectrum protectants remain an important part of an integrated disease management program.”
Mancozeb is still available for use in grapes for the 2026 season under currently approved labels. Read more about the report here.