The pesticide, which was used by seven of the 300 Santa Barbara County growers who applied pesticides in 2016, according to the most recent state data, is the flash-point for court battles and legal wrangling between those seeking to bar its use, and others who say the chemical is an important tool for growers to effectively manage pests.
Nine growers applied chlorpyrifos in 2016 countywide, seven of them in North County, according to state pesticide use reports. None of the growers who used the chemical in Santa Barbara County in 2016 were in violation of state regulations.
Permit numbers cross-referenced with the county show that three of those growers — Teodolfo Lopez and Santiago Cayetano in Santa Maria, and Welty’s Hilltop Flowers in Carpinteria — have either discontinued use of the chemical or opted to not renew their permit, leaving six with active permits countywide. They are: Savino Farms, Inc. in Santa Maria; Santa Paula-based flower grower Joseph and Sons, Inc.; Boavista Farms in Santa Maria; Westerlay Orchids in Carpinteria; Delwson Farm in Santa Maria; and A&M Flower Growers, Inc. of Santa Paula.
According to Julia Kosowitz, an agricultural biologist with the County of Santa Barbara, the broad spectrum chemical is most commonly used by local growers as an insecticide to control a wide variety of pests (including worms) afflicting local crops. Typically applied to a wide variety of crops and ornamentals, in 2016 local producers growing strawberries, broccoli, lemons, beans and flowers (both field- and greenhouse-grown) applied the chemical to their crops.