The supply of Telone II soil fumigant and Telone C-17 soil fungicide and nematicide is temporarily restricted for the 2009 growing season, according to Dow AgroSciences.

“This supply restriction is only temporary,” says Dennis Lane, product marketing specialist for Dow AgroSciences. “Dow AgroSciences is committed to the fumigation business that we've been a part of for more than 40 years, and we're working to find comprehensive solutions to the short supply situation.”

The reduction in the supply of Telone can be traced to several uncontrollable factors.

It is part of a co-manufacturing process with an epoxy intermediate. The demand for epoxy, a key component in many housing and automobile industry products, is significantly lower due to the downturn of the global economy, reducing production of materials needed to produce epoxy. Consequently, the capacity to produce Telone products also has been reduced.

“The economy has significantly restricted our production of Telone this spring,” Lane says. “But we are focused on minimizing the impact that the slowdown of the economy has imposed.”

The reduction in manufacturing of the fumigant products came on the heels of two other major events in 2008. In September 2008, Hurricane Ike hit Texas near the production facility for Telone, shutting down manufacturing for several weeks due to a loss of power.

Also, as part of The Dow Chemical Company's commitment to technology improvements, the same Texas production facility received scheduled equipment upgrades in late 2008. These advancements made it necessary to close the facility, resulting in another production lull.

“We are dedicated to the soil fumigation business and servicing our customers,” Lane says. “Neither stewardship nor product integrity will be sacrificed to expedite product production. We have been, and will continue to be, committed to bringing both to growers.”

For more information on the availability of Telone, growers are encouraged to contact their local Dow AgroSciences dealers.