Abstract
Since the 1960s, the objective for the United Kingdom (UK) government policy and legislation on crop protection practices has been to minimise the impact of pesticide use in agriculture and horticulture to the wider environment. Subsequent European Union (EU) policy and legislation have also targeted this objective through a demanding approvals process, competency tests for users, maximum residue limits, regular post-registration monitoring and the promotion of integrated pest and disease management techniques. However, none of this substantive regulation refers to target reduction levels for pesticide use. Since 1992, the number of arable farms in Northern Ireland has decreased by 61% with a consequent reduction of 34% in the area of arable crops grown. Despite this reduction in area of arable crops grown, the area treated by the major pesticide groups increased by 49% due to intensification, but the weight of major pesticides applied to arable crops decreased by 37%. However, the intensity of application measured by the total quantity of all pesticides applied to the basic area of arable crops treated remained relatively constant at approximately 3.2 kg/ha. Pesticide usage trends and reduction policies in other geographic regions are also discussed for comparative purposes.
Highlights
In response to concerns regarding the widespread use of organochlorine insecticides during the late 19500 s and early 19600 s, regular monitoring of pesticide usage, within agriculture and horticulture, in England and Wales was initiated in 1966 by the Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food [1].Pesticide usage monitoring in Scotland began in 1974 with a survey of arable crops conducted by the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland [2]
1), with the largest decrease recorded within the smaller size groups
Within Northern Ireland, data on pesticide usage from crop protection within agriculture have been recorded for almost three decades
Summary
In response to concerns regarding the widespread use of organochlorine insecticides during the late 19500 s and early 19600 s, regular monitoring of pesticide usage, within agriculture and horticulture, in England and Wales was initiated in 1966 by the Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food [1]. Within Northern Ireland, pesticide usage monitoring is undertaken by the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute on behalf of the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) These annual surveys form an integral part of the government’s pesticide safety control arrangements, in providing quantitative and qualitative data on the usage of pesticides in agriculture, horticulture, food storage and associated industries. They provide the only post-registration monitor of current trends in usage of commercially available pesticides approved for use. Trends in the use of foliar and seed treatment applications of the major pesticide groups (fungicides, herbicides and insecticides) within the Northern Ireland arable crop industry between 1992 and 2016 are examined and discussed
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