In California’s 1,3-D rules, soil moisture has a surprisingly direct role: fumigation must take place at higher moisture levels as one measure to reduce emissions. For strawberry ground being prepared for planting, that makes water conditions part of the compliance picture.
The fumigant is injected into soil before planting to control a wide range of pests, a job that puts it in the pre-plant decisions faced by some berry operations. DPR’s description of 1,3-D is a reminder that the annual report is about a field practice, not an abstract air-quality measure.
The controls are already in place
California’s requirements, which took effect in 2024, call for lower-emission fumigation methods, setbacks between treated fields and occupied structures, and limits on application rates and acreage. The existing controls are intended to reduce 1,3-D concentrations in the air.
The draft report is DPR’s assessment of statewide 1,3-D use and air-monitoring results. State law requires the department to produce that annual accounting, giving the public a recurring record alongside the requirements governing applications.
A report-stage comment window
DPR has opened a 45-day public comment period on the draft. The comment opportunity concerns the report; it does not announce a change to the fumigation rules.
For a grower, PCA, or ranch manager using 1,3-D on strawberry ground, the useful question is whether the report accurately reflects the statewide record and air monitoring. Comments can speak to the draft’s accounting; field plans still need to follow the controls already in force.