In a significant development for U.S. agriculture, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved an expanded label for FMC Corporation's Elevest® insect control, authorizing its use across a broader spectrum of specialty crops and introducing a new in-furrow application method for row crops. This move is expected to enhance pest management flexibility, improve yield protection, and support more integrated crop protection programs across diverse farming systems.

Under the revised label, Elevest® can now be applied to brassica, cucurbit, and fruiting vegetables, as well as pome fruits, stone fruits, strawberries, and several tree nuts including pistachios, hazelnuts, and walnuts. This expansion enables specialty-crop producers to control a wider range of destructive pests, including Lepidopteran pests, stink bugs, codling moth, peach twig borer, and navel orangeworm-key threats to crop quality and marketability.

A key feature of the updated label is the new in-furrow application method for row crops, which provides a more efficient approach to tackling early-season soil pests such as seedcorn maggot, wireworm, and cutworm. At the same time, Elevest® retains its robust foliar protection against major threats like armyworms, corn rootworms, corn earworm, soybean looper, and stink bugs-making it a critical tool for growers navigating pest complexes that span multiple crop stages and species.

The power behind Elevest® lies in its dual active ingredients: Rynaxypyr® (chlorantraniliprole, Group 28) and bifenthrin (Group 3A). This dual-mode-of-action formulation offers both preventive and responsive control, supporting integrated pest management (IPM) strategies and contributing to resistance management. The combination provides fast knockdown and long-lasting residual control, reducing the need for multiple products and simplifying spray schedules.

According to FMC, the expanded label reflects a commitment to providing U.S. growers with more versatile tools that can help protect both yield and crop quality in increasingly complex farming environments. With commodity prices fluctuating and input costs rising, tools like Elevest® offer a pathway to more cost-effective, targeted, and sustainable pest management.

The approval also aligns with larger trends in agricultural policy and input stewardship, especially as farmers increasingly turn to specialty crops to diversify revenue streams and navigate market volatility. The ability to use one product across multiple crops and pests can reduce operational complexity, lower application costs, and help ensure regulatory compliance under USDA and farm bill guidelines.

Still, experts caution that responsible use is critical to maintain the product's efficacy. Growers should rotate Elevest® with other modes of action and avoid consecutive applications beyond label limits. Following proper resistance management practices not only preserves product performance but also aligns with broader environmental stewardship goals.

As U.S. agriculture moves into 2026, the EPA's approval of the expanded Elevest® label offers a timely and strategic solution for both row-crop producers and specialty-crop growers. With more pests, more regulation, and more complexity in the field, Elevest® delivers a flexible, broad-spectrum, and regulator-approved answer to one of farming's most persistent challenges: pest pressure.