Denmarks action plans for pesticides -status and role of research

1. Denmarks action plans for pesticides-status and role of research Lise Nistrup Jørgensen, Danmarks JordbrugsForskning Forskningscenter Flakkebjerg

2. Pesticide action plan - 1986-1997 • Reduce used amount by half • Reduce treatment frequency by half • Reevaluation of all old pesticides • Reduction should be stimulated by recommendation from advisors and scientist

3. Treatment Frequency Index in Danish agriculture TFI

4. Treatment frequency index in different crops 1997

5. Treatment frequency index in cereals in DK 1997

6. Treatment frequency index in broad leaved crops in DK 1997

7. TFI per ha on different farm types on clay soil TFI Behandlingshyppighed

8. Changes in area grown with winter wheat and spring barley 1000 ha Year

9. TFI/dose with fungicides in wheat

10. Pesticide action plan - 1986-1997Reevaluation of pesticides • 180 active ingredients reevaluated • 45 did not apply for reevaluation • 20 failed to full fill data requirements • 21 were restricted in their use • 27 were prohibited or withdrawn by companies • 56 got a new registration

11. Pesticide action plan - 1986-1997 • Introduced tax on pesticides in 1996 • 2 weeks training of all staff applying pesticides (>30.000 have the certificate) • 2 days course for all farmers spraying on own farm (all farmers) • Obligatory record keeping of all sprayings • Random check on sprayers

12. Status on the first action plan • Active ingredients reduces by almost 50% • TFI only reduced slightly (-6%) • Increase in crops with high TFI. If that is corrected for then reduction has been 22% • RE-evaluation has been successful and is expected to reduce pesticides in ground water • Wish for further reforms in regulations due to findings of pesticides in ground water

13. Tax on pesticides • 1987 3 % tax introduced, • 1996 13% tax on herbicides and fungicides • 1996 27% tax on insecticides • Expected to reduce use by 5-10% • 1998 tax has been doubled. • 54% insecticides • 33%fungicides+herbicides

14. Driving force for stopping use of pesticides • Pesticides in ground water. The policy is to close wells not to clean water. • 5% of public wells have higher concentrations than 0.1 ug/l. • 13% of filters from ground water (517) have shown higher values than 0.1ug/l • Out of 40 analysed a.i and metabolites 29 have been found in concentrations above 0.1 ug/l

15. Bichel committeeSept.1997-April 1999 • Investigate the consequences of a partly and total phasing out of pesticides • for agriculture • for economy and employment • for environment and health • for legislation • Create the background for a new action plan

16. Different scenarios for phasing out pesticides was investigated • Present production • 0-scenario • 0+ scenario (nearly total stop-only use to keep up phytosanitary laws) • +scenario (restricted use, approximately 80% reduction) • ++scenario (optimised use, approximately 30-50% reduction)

17. Relation between TFI and Income for farmers per ha Dkk/ha ++scenario +-scenario TFI Behandlingshyppighed

18. Percent direct crop loss in a 0-pesticide scenario % crop loss

19. Treatment frequency for different farm types on clay

20. Treatment frequency based on trials from Køge Ringsted trial

21. Experiences from erfa-groups in West jutland 1998 • Crop BI • winter wheat: 1,3 on 1353 ha • winter barley: 1,3 on 358 ha • winterrye: 0,6 on 286 ha • spring barley: 1,0 on 825 ha • peas: 1,4 on 348 ha

22. Treatment Frequency Index in Danish agriculture TFI

25. Bichel committee recommend: • Research in none chemical control methods • population dynamic in different cropping systems • preventive methods using cultural methods • mechanical weed control • improved disease control through host resistance • alternative methods for control of seed born diseases

26. Bichel committee recommend: • Research in pesticide related control: • continues development of warning and decisions support systems (agriculture and horticultural crops) • improving cultivation methods combined with band spraying • Use of precision methods using GPS • intensified focus on application technique and handling of pesticides • minimising pesticide contamination in food

27. Bichel committee recommendation for the advisory system • Focus on dissemination of information from research to farmers • Improving existing prognoses and warning systems • on a national and regional basis • Establishing demonstrations farms to illustrate plant protection problems at different control levels and in different cropping systems • Educating farmers to use decision support systems e.g. through Internet • Establishing of ERFA-groups with focus on low pesticide input

28. Improving of existing decision support systems- PC-Planteværn • Diseases: • Adjusting of dosages in relation to host resistance and yield responses • Adjusting of models for septoria, net blotch and rhynchosporium. • Development of weather dependent riskmodels • PC-Planteværn in rye and triticale • Mmodel to cope with fungicide mixtures

29. Warning system for wheat mildew 1993-98 (registreringsnettet)

30. Alternative none chemical methods-disease control • Improved use of resistant varieties. • Dependent on varieties from abroad • Big potential in resistant breeding, • with in 10 years still no varieties with total resistance to all diseases • GMO plants limited effect within the next 10 years, long term effect uncertain • Alternative methods can minimise attack

31. Stinking Bunt Big potentiale for quick build up Seed born diseases

32. Decision support systemWeed control • Improving the program • developing the program to new crops • Adjusting the models to new products • Develop recommendation which combine alternative and mechanical methods • Develop precision methods for weed control using GPS

33. Alternative none chemical methodsWeed control • Necessary to combine preventive and mechanical methods • using crop rotation, time of sowing, competing crops, competing varieties,etc • Trial results have shown that mechanical weed control is possible in nearly all crops • Mechanical weed control has its limitations in unreliable weather, poor crop stand, uneven soil etc

34. Alternative none chemical methods-weed control • Potential for improving the present mechanical methods • Potential for finding alternative solution for manuel weeding.(robot etc) • Investment in new machinery • Need for education of farmers in mechanical methods

35. Spot with poppies

36. Weed map and patch spraying

37. Improving of existing recommendation models for control of pests • Development, testing and implementation of population dynamical control models • aphids in cereal • pests in rye, triticiale, oat, spring wheat and maize • leaf beetles in cereal • blossom beetle and other pests in rape

38. Alternative methods to control of pest • Host plant resistance against insecticides • Development of intercropping systems, which makes it less likely for the pests to recognise the host • Optimising of naturally occurring mechanisms which will help to minimise the pest populations

39. Reduction of pesticides residues in food • Reduction of pesticides residues in Danish plant products • Minimising pesticide use in horticultural crops using a combination of alternative methods and pesticides • Investigating the possibility to improve GAP through efficacy trials using low dosages and extended period from spray to harvest

40. Conclusion • Action plans has had impact on farmers perception on the use of pesticides. • Still most farmers ensure their crop with pesticides beyond an economical optimal • Reductions beyond ++scenarium requires considerable changes of common crop practise. • Need to reduce input with herbicides requires the use of a combination of cultural practises and mechanical weed control • Pesticide tax and low grain prices has reached a level where it hurts.