Accurately predicting pesticide use is a fundamental requirement for water companies yet keeping up to speed with changes in cropping patterns, newly approved pesticides, the withdrawal of products from the market and the changing face of agriculture is getting harder and harder. Help is at hand.
ADAS is able to offer predictive risk assessments from pesticides applied to agricultural (arable, grassland and stock feeding crops) crops which can be used by water companies to target their Regulatory monitoring programmes and help to reduce sampling, blending and treatment costs.
These risk assessments use high resolution land use and pesticide usage data taken from recent pesticide surveys and agricultural census data enhanced with predictions of future land and pesticide use gathered from a network of local consultants. Predictions are supported by national experts in farming systems and crop production. Predictive pesticide assessments are then undertaken using pesticide fate models to identify surface or ground waters at risk.
This method offers a significant enhancement over retrospective pesticide usage data derived from historical statistics on generalised cropping patterns and national pesticide use. It is particularly important given the greater flexibility in cropping choice since the introduction of the Single Farm Payment in 2005 and the 0% set-aside rate in 2008, and the recent (and likely future) changes in pesticide availability which is resulting in reviews of cropping plans and pesticide product choice.
The ADAS service offers the following advantages:
- Annually updated pesticide database taking into account new approvals and product withdrawals – this is likely to become more important in future years due to changes in the 91/414/EEC approval process and impacts of the Water Framework Directive.
- Use of historical information on pesticide usage (such as the Pesticide Usage Surveys) is enhanced by additional market research such as the annual ADAS Farmers Voice survey and other targeted market research activity. For example, following the withdrawal of IPU (a key autumn herbicide in cereals) on 30 June 2009, ADAS is undertaking extensive market research to identify the replacement strategies.
- Established network of local contacts provide information on expected cropping changes and pesticide strategies. Cropping patterns are showing larger annual changes in recent years due to changes to the subsidy payment regime, changing market conditions and new market opportunities (e.g. biofuels) and weather impacts. The use of particular pesticides is influenced by product withdrawals and new approvals but also by local distributors and their particular strategies.
- Local soil type information is used to enhance the accuracy of changes in cropping and impacts on pesticide usage.
- National crop production specialists provide expertise in farming systems, pesticides, pathology, entomology, rotations, weeds, pests and disease control, economics and marketing to provide an overview of changes in cropping and impacts on pesticide usage caused by economic and technical effects such as product price changes, local commercial pressures and actual pest and disease levels. Specialist support is on hand from ADAS entomologists, pathologists and weed control experts.
- Expertise in pesticide legislation at European and UK level, and current initiatives on usage, such as the Defra funded England Catchment Sensitive Farming Delivery Initiative (ECSFDI) and industry funded Voluntary Initiative and Metaldehyde Stewardship initiative.
For further information and a free no obligation quotation, please contact Colin Reith - Water Sector Manager on +44 (0)1773 822733 or e-mail colin.reith@adas.co.uk