The use of chemical plant protection products in field vegetable farms in a central industrial vegetable growing area in Finland

Abstract

Progress in the reduction of environmental and health risks of PPPs (plant protection products) using Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in the EU needs to be gauged. Here, we report, for the first time, the exact quantities of PPP used in carrot, potato, swede, and fresh pea production in southwestern Finland from 2003 to 2019. Fresh peas and swede represent exceptionally low or decreasing use of PPPs, respectively. The number of treatments per field showed an increasing trend for fungicides used on potato, despite per unit area treatments have not increased. Furthermore, for carrots, insecticide and herbicide spray frequencies increased more than treatment volumes. The results of this study form a basis for analyzing ecotoxicological risks of PPP use in the studied crops because usage and spray frequencies alone do not convey the risk levels accurately. Research needs to be continued to better guide the recording of farmers’ plant protection activities and corresponding analysis to verify the impacts of IPM implementation.