The future use of pesticides appears to be under threat. The EU seems hell bent on bringing in measures that will, at best, limit their use or, at worse, ban them altogether. Is the UK being penalised for the shortcomings of other member states or is there some substance to the issue?
On the following pages we look at some of the issues surrounding pesticides; their use and the possible alternatives
ThePESTICIDES Using Amenity The issue
Amenity use of pesticides helps maintain the appearance and accessibility of towns, roadways, railways; the usability of public spaces, recreation areas, parks and gardens, golf courses; and many other areas that the public use. The control of weeds and plant related pests is an important part of landscaping hygiene and hazard prevention.
Use of pesticides has a relatively high political profile. It is important they are used responsibly and that any waste material arising from their use is disposed of carefully. This prevents unacceptable risks to human health and the environment from arising. Pesticide users must comply with laws governing the use of pesticides. Likewise those who award contracts to spray operators are responsible for ensuring contractors comply with the law.
Minimising the risk of water pollution is a key consideration. The Environment Agency monitors pesticides in water and has recently detected a large increase in pollution of water by the pesticide diuron. This pesticide is only used in amenity situations. The levels found suggest that those who are applying this
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pesticide may not be adopting ‘best practice’ in use and disposal.
What to do
Fortunately, there is plenty of advice available on best practice measures. Good starting points include:
• The Government’s ‘Code of Practice for the Use of Plant Protection Products’. This provides general advice on best practice regarding the use and disposal of pesticides in all situations. But there is specific advice relating to amenity use - this includes advice for those preparing weed control contracts. The key messages are:
- alternatives to pesticides should be considered before any spraying takes place;
- users should seek to minimise the amount applied; and
- the law requires anyone who uses pesticides professionally (be they operators and technicians, managers, employers or those giving instruction to others) to have received training and hold relevant certificates of competence.
• the Amenity Forum - a national
representative body of amenity users and other interested parties that aims to encourage the highest standard possible for advice and the application of pesticides and protect the interests of users of pesticides in the amenity sector. It consults with Government and looks to identify, review and resolve specific issues on the use of pesticides, management practices and training standards. It provides access to a wide range of practical advice. The Forum can be contacted via their secretary:
Robert.Joice@farmline.com
Changes to the law?
Pesticide legislation is largely set at an EC level - the existing regime is based around a thorough process which evaluates safety of products prior to any marketing authorisation. This will soon be supplemented by new legislation covering safe use - at the moment EC member states operate a range of various controls (for example, in UK those explained in the ‘Code of Practice’). Drafts of this new legislation identify the need to adopt specific measures for the amenity use. Key features include ensuring that:
• Equipment used to apply pesticides
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