Trends in pesticide use and efficacy during 26 years of changing agriculture in southern England

Abstract

We report on trends in agricultural pesticide use from1970 to 1995 inclusive in arable crops on the SouthDowns, West Sussex, U.K. Information is given on theproportion of cropped area treated with pesticides,the percentage spray area, the number of pesticideapplications per field, and the number of compoundsapplied per field for herbicides, foliar fungicidesand insecticides. Compared to national publishedfigures, our data are broadly representative of thenational picture; they provide a complete and detailedtime series whereas national figures are available foronly 7 out of the 26 yr. In general, the areatreated (fungicides, insecticides) and the intensityof use (all three types of pesticide) increased overthe 26 yr. The spectrum of activity of theherbicides applied to arable crops increased from anaverage of 22 weed taxa susceptible in 1970 to 38 weedtaxa susceptible in 1995. The odds on herbicide andfungicide use in break crops were, respectively, 93%and 99% lower than average; odds on insecticide usein spring cereals were 98% lower than average. Comparing winter wheat on the most traditional farm(grass/cereal rotation) with the most modern one(monoculture winter wheat), the proportion of fieldstreated with herbicides was similar, but the odds onbeing treated with fungicides were 129% higher on themodern farm. Insecticides were used in only 2% ofthe fields on the traditional farm, while on themodern farm over the same time period, 79% of thefields were treated. This fits previously observeddifferences in wildlife abundance on the two farms.