All agricultural and veterinary products sold in Australia must be registered for use by the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA). In most states, registered products must only be used for those approved purposes that are listed on the label. However, situations do arise whereby chemicals are needed for a use not specified on the label. In such instances an ‘off-label’ permit may be obtained through the APVMA. Such permits allow the use of chemicals in ways that are different from the uses specified on the product label and/or allow limited use of an unregistered chemical.
The following table lists the current off-label permits issued for use on wine-grapes in various situations. It is essential to read ALL the conditions attached to a permit prior to use. Permits can be downloaded from the APVMA website by clicking on the links in the table or visiting https://portal.apvma.gov.au/permits.
AWRI advises growers to contact their winery or grape purchaser prior to the application of any chemical covered by an off-label permit, and prior to the application of any 1A, 1B, 2B, 3A, 4A or 4C insecticide.
| Pest/purpose | Active constituent | Permit link |
| European wasp | 100 or 200 g/L fipronil as a meat bait | PER89402 For use in TAS only Expires: 31 Mar 2025 |
| European and common wasps in orchards, vineyards and berry farms | 100 g/L fipronil as a meat bait | PER86492 For use in all states and territories Expires: 31 Aug 2026 |
| Mediterranean fruit fly and Queensland fruit fly |
0.24 g/L spinosad as a bait concentrate
Target foliage, avoiding direct spray contact with fruit, nuts and vegetables. Phytotoxocity can occur. |
PER80719 For use in SA, NSW, TAS, VIC and WA ONLY Expires: 31 Mar 2025 |
| Mediterranean fruit fly and Queensland fruit fly |
250 g/L lambda-cyhalothrin as a soil drench
Apply to ground under larvae-infested trees during fruit fly activity while fruit is at a stage Toxic to bees. |
PER12961 For use in NSW, NT, SA, TAS, VIC and WA ONLY by officers or other persons operating under the direction of the state or territory Department of Agriculture or Primary Industries Expires: 31 Mar 2025 |
| Mediterranean fruit fly and Queensland fruit fly |
400 g/L dimethoate
Produce treated under this permit must not be harvested, collected or supplied for human or DO NOT treat any host plants until after final harvest for the given season within a designated block. DO NOT allow spray drift onto adjacent crops/blocks that are still being harvested or that bear fruit (irrespective of growth stage) intended for harvest at a future time. Particular attention should be paid to immediately adjacent blocks where harvesting activities are still being or are to be conducted in the season. |
PER13859 For use in all states and territories Expires: 30 Jun 2025 |
| Mediterranean fruit fly and Queensland fruit fly |
0.24 g/L spinosad as a bait concentrate
Target foliage, avoiding direct spray contact Phytotoxocity can occur. |
PER93557 For use in WA ONLY by persons under the direction of the Chief Plant Biosecurity Officer, Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development Expires: 30 Nov 2025 |
| Mediterranean fruit fly | Lures containing: 0.48 g/kg deltamethrin 286 g/kg ammonium acetate 121.5 g/kg trimethylamine hydrochloride 2.23 g/kg putrescineDO NOT place devices near or above developing fruits to avoid direct contact and any rain wash-off contaminating fruit. |
PER92548 For use in WA only Expires: 30 Sep 2025 |
| Bunch removal in wine-grape vines |
calcium nitrate containing 15.5% nitrogen, 19% calcium and 14.4% total nitrateApply by air-blast sprayer using spray volume 200-600 L/ha and between E-L 12 (5 leaves separated) and E-L 15 (8 leaves separated). Repeat no earlier than 10 days after the first application if required. DO NOT apply more than two applications per season. After use, empty, rinse and drain tank. |
PER92820 For use in all states and territories Expires: 30 Sep 2025 |
| Bunch removal in wine-grape vines |
480, 720, 900 g/L ethephon
Apply by air-blast sprayer using sufficient spray volume to achieve run-off. Apply at E-L 25 (80% caps off) and no later than E-L 27. DO NOT apply more than one application per crop. Thoroughly wash equipment after ethephon application to ensure all residue is removed before use on non-target vines. |
PER92913 For use in all states and territories. Expires: 31 Oct 2026 |
| Removal of unwanted and abandoned vines to minimise the risk of phylloxera |
360, 450, 470, 480, 490, 495, 500, 510, 517, 535, 540, 570, 600 or 625 g/L glyphosateApply as a cut stump method. |
PER12770 For use in QLD only Expires: 31 Dec 2026 |
Table last updated: 13 January 2025