Time-series analysis of variations in pesticide use and hazard from vegetable production in Great Britain

Abstract

Pesticides play an important role in safeguarding crop productivity and production losses although their uses impose threats to human and environmental health. The EU expelled seventy-five % of existing pesticides in use as set out in the authorization Directive 91/414/EEC and the Sustainable Use Directive 2009/218/EEC to respond to growing public concern over the use of pesticides in crop production. In this study an attempt was made to assess time-series trends in pesticide hazard posed by pesticides applied on four major homegrown vegetable crops in the UK. An environmental impact quotient (EIQ) method was applied to estimates changes in pesticide hazard from 1991 to 2011. Results suggest that there were considerable variations in pesticide use and hazards among crops, pesticide types and non-target groups. Overall mean pesticide use declined by 42% whilst the mean yield increased by 7% over the study period. EIQ and EIQ per hectare was reduced by 12 and 13% respectively, partly contributing to a 45% reduction in overall EI. Greatest reduction in EI was for farmworkers (65%) followed by the environment (41%) and consumers (24%). EIQ was reduced by 38% for insecticides while it increased by 22% for herbicides and remained unchanged for fungicides. The highest reduction in pesticide use and hazard was for brassicas followed by lettuce and endives and peas and beans. Newly introduced EU pesticide legislation appears to have played significant role in reducing pesticide use and hazard whilst enabling vegetable growers in the UK to harvest more tons of yield per ha.