On February 6, the Environmental Protection Agency granted a specific exemption under the provisions of Section 18 of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act, as amended, to the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) for the use of imidacloprid, formulated as Gaucho 480 Flowable, on soybean seed to control bean leaf beetles and soybean aphids in Iowa. The exemption is for 455,000 seed units and will allow seed for seed production, food production, and commercial "field" beans to be treated with Gaucho.

This specific exemption will expire on May 15, 2004. This is the final date that the label for treating the seed will be in effect. This expiration date does not have any bearing on when the treated seed can be planted.

Imidacloprid is a member of the neonicotinoid (or sometimes nicotinoid) insecticide class. It has systemic properties which make it valuable in controlling piercing/sucking insects, such as soybean aphids. Gaucho is manufactured by Gustafson LLC.