Optimisation of the use of plant protection products in agriculture

In 2002, the European Parliament adopted a Thematic Strategy on the Sustainable Use of Pesticides in the form of action programmes to reduce risks to human health and the environment from the use of pesticides. The European Commission has taken these guidelines into account and laid down strict criteria for the authorisation of plant protection products (PPP), the collection of data on the sale and use of PPP and measures under legislation on the sustainable use of PPP. All measures shall be covered by a national action programme with the aim of reducing the risks of the potential impact of PPP on human, animal, drinking water, surface and groundwater and other environments.

The sustainable use of plant protection products (PPP) also includes the policies and measures that we are implementing as a result of the use of PPP with a view to reducing risks and impacts for human and animal health and the environment. PPP users shall be encouraged to use PPP, to implement integrated pest management and to use low-risk PPP. There is also regular information and public awareness of PPP, training of PPP consultants, PPP vendors and users, and inspections of PPP application devices. The sustainable use of plant protection products directs the PPP user towards optimal use, towards preserving the environment and human health.

Use of plant protection products (PPP’s) in Slovenia

In Slovenia, most of the older studies on PPP residues in the environment were carried out on crops, water or soil, to which plant protection products came with direct introduction to agricultural land.

When adapting legislation to the European Union, the Law on plant protection products has restricted the use of multi-component PPP due to the detection of residues in the waters and that the use of PPP must be safe (harmless to human health in direct or indirect contact), specific (effective for the control of specific harmful organisms acceptable to non-target organisms) and non-existent (to decompete into simple chemical components without harmful effects on the environment). The "old" active substances were also re-evaluated and dangerous substances were excluded from use. Registration – authorisation to use a specific PPP is granted for a maximum period of 10 years with the possibility of renewal, if applicable. In the event that, on the basis of technical and scientific knowledge, there are reasonable grounds for suspecting that an PPP already registered constitutes a danger to human health and the environment, the Minister of Agriculture shall have the power to restrict or prohibit its use.

The application of the PPP is also governed at European Union level by legislation relating to water protection (Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC), Groundwater Directive (2006/118/EC) and The Directive on Environmental Quality Standards in the field of water policy (2008/105/EC). In Slovenia, when adapting to this legislation with regard to the requirements of the European Union, two regulations were adopted - the Regulation on the state of surface waters (Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia, No. 14/09 and 98/10) and the Groundwater Status Regulation (Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia, No. 25/09 and 68/12). These two regulations lay down environmental quality standards for each type of pollution which pose a significant risk to the aquatic environment and to the abstraction of drinking water.

Since 2001, the Plant Protection Products Act requires all PPP users to provide compulsory education (without passing a phytomedicine examination and certificate of knowledge in phytomedicine PPP cannot be purchased and used) and the examination of PPP application devices on plants.

The measures are aimed at informing and informing users of the correct use of PPP (emphasis on the protection of groundwater and surface waters, protection of bees, safe disposal of waste and packaging waste of PPP), promoting integrated and organic production, both to test biotic protection and other non-nuclear methods, as well as to advise the use of less hazardous, less persistent and more degradable PPP, and to better optimize the use of these PPP.

The goals regarding the use of phytopharmaceuticals in Slovenia are as follows:

- reduction of dangers and risks to human and animal health and to the environment due to the use of PPP, including the replacement of the most dangerous substances with safer ones,

- reducing the level of active substances harmful to health in food and drinking water, including replacing the most dangerous substances with safer ones,

- promotion of agricultural production in the sense that PPP are used according to the principles of integrated plant protection only when it is absolutely necessary or economically justified,

- regularly informing and raising awareness of users about the safe use of PPP, encouraging the development and introduction of organic agriculture and other so-natural agricultural practices,

- creating a transparent system for reporting on progress in achieving the strategy's goals and monitoring this progress, including the development of relevant indicators,

- ensuring the sustainable use of PPP for all types of plants while reducing the risk due to the use of PPP.

- the professionally justified use of PPP, which should be based on the improvement of the technological procedures for the production of cultivated plants, with the help of the prognostic service,

- improving the professional competence of PPP users,

- reduction of PPP residues in crops

- reduction of pollution of surface and underground waters due to the use of PPP,

- improved control over the use of PPP (for agricultural and non-agricultural purposes)

- improved control over the disposal of PPP waste packaging,

- establishment of systematic monitoring of PPP impacts on certain non-target organisms (bees, birds, fish...) and

- establishment of systematic monitoring of PPP impacts on the health of PPP users.

Handling training of plant protection products (PPP’s)

In Slovenia, the training system for users and distributors of PPP, including lecturers, has been in place for years since 2001 and is carried out in accordance with the Rules on professional training and knowledge testing in phytomedicine (Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia, no. 36/02, 41/04, 17/05, 92/06, 99/08, 83/12 – ZPPP-1 and 85/13). The existing training system in phytomedicine is divided into the following groups: training of responsible persons and lecturers in phytomedicine and training of implementers of measures and sellers. The sets differ from each other in the duration of the training, purpose and partially also in content. When the training was established, the key contents were related to plant protection, the use of PPP and legislation in this area. The training material includes the following topics: pathogens and plant pests and the impact of weeds, human health and environmental impacts of PPP, PPP application technique and legislation.

The basic training consists of a course and a written test of knowledge:

- for PPP counselors (at least 35 school hours),

- for PPP sellers (at least 20 school hours),

- for implementers of plant protection measures or PPP users (at least 15 school hours).

Further training is carried out in the form of a course without a written knowledge test and lasts at least:

- for PPP advisors (at least 8 school hours),

- for PPP sellers (at least 6 school hours),

- for implementers of plant protection measures or PPP users (at least 4 school hours).

The content of PPP training includes:

- legislation in the field of PPP;

- fake PPP and methods for identifying them;

- dangers and risks associated with PPP and the way of identifying and controlling these risks in relation to risks for people (PPP users; residents; other bystanders; persons entering treated areas; persons handling treated plants or consuming treated plant parts - PPP poisoning symptoms and first aid measures;

- risks to non-target plants, beneficial insects, wildlife, biodiversity and the environment;

- strategies and techniques of integrated protection of plants against harmful organisms, principles of organic farming, methods of biotic control of harmful organisms;

- safe practices for storage, handling and mixing of PPP and disposal of empty packaging, other contaminated materials and excess PPP (including residual spray slurry);

- personal protective equipment of the PPP user;

- procedures for the preparation of PPP application devices, including their calibration, and for their operation with the least possible risks to PPP users, other persons, non-target animal and plant species, biodiversity and the environment, including water resources;

- use of PPP application devices and their maintenance and special spraying techniques (preventing reliance on non-target surfaces - "drift"...);

- urgent measures to protect human health, the environment, including water resources, in the event of accidental spillage and pollution, as well as extreme weather events that could cause PPP to be washed away;

- management of data on the use of PPP - records of PPP use.

Traffic with plant protection products (PPP’s) and their sale

The PPP sales system in Slovenia is regulated in such a way that users can buy PPP without presenting a certificate (for certain PPP, which can be sold without presenting a Certificate of Phytomedicine acquisition, only in specialized PPP stores - the list is available at http://spletni2.furs.gov.si/FFS/REGSR/FFS_sezn.asp?L=1&S=15&top=1; or for certain PPP that are sold without presenting a Certificate of Phytomedicine acquisition in specialized stores with PPP and other stores with exclusively non-food products - the list is available at http://spletni2.furs.gov.si/FFS/REGSR/FFS_sezn.asp?L=1&S=16&top=1) or by presenting the Certificate of acquisition of knowledge in phytomedicine. Distributors, who are legal and natural persons and are responsible for placing PPP on the market (including wholesalers, retailers, sellers and suppliers) deal with the trade and sale of PPP. They must meet the requirements regarding the education and professional qualifications of the staff, premises and equipment, and must have permission from the administration to perform this activity. Distributors who sell PPP in flower shops and non-food stores must also meet the conditions and obtain a permit from the ministry.

The permit for PPP traffic is issued by the administration based on the report of the competent inspector on the fulfillment of the conditions of premises and equipment for PPP traffic and personnel. The administration maintains a register of PPP distributors. The administration reports data on PPP traffic to the Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia for the purpose of collecting and processing statistical data on PPP traffic.

Notification and public awareness

Informing and raising awareness of the public takes place in the form of the implementation of various activities of the competent ministry regarding the safe use of PPP, the issue of PPP use in relation to the risk to bees, the recognition of PPP fakes, the correct handling of PPP waste containing dangerous substances, etc. The regulation governing the handling of PPP waste containing dangerous substances already determines the obligations of persons who give or deliver PPP, packaged for final use, directly to the end user, regarding informing customers about the possibility of free delivery of waste PPP at the point of sale or in PPP waste collection points.

The obligation to inform end users is also imposed on PPP waste collectors, who must inform end users:

- on the purpose and goals of collecting PPP waste,

- correct handling of them,

- free broadcasting options

- about the methods of their reuse and disposal.

Information and awareness of users is defined in the Act on PPP in such a way that the Ministry adopts a program of information and awareness in relation to PPP, which includes measures to promote and improve information and awareness of the public about the impacts of using PPP and the impacts of improper handling of PPP waste containing dangerous substances, on human health, non-target organisms and the environment. The public is informed about the risk from the use of PPP and the possible acute and chronic effects of these agents on human health, non-target organisms and the environment. The interested public participates in the preparation of the program.

Application devices for plant protection products (PPP’s)

Regular inspection of PPP applicators

Regular inspections of PPP application devices (tractor or self-propelled sprayers and tractor or self-propelled sprayers) are regulated by three regulations (Regulations on obtaining a certificate of compliance of plant protection devices for new devices, Rules on conditions and procedures that must be met and implemented by authorized inspectors bodies for regular inspection of devices for applying plant protection products to obtain authorizations from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and Rules on the content and method of maintaining the register of devices of certified types that have successfully or unsuccessfully passed a regular inspection) on the basis of which the owner of the inspected device receives a control sticker on the flawless operation of the PPP application device .

Authorized organizations for inspecting PPP application devices organize field inspections of devices every year in the months of March and April, or before the start of the spraying season. For PPP applicators, the user of spray equipment must pass a device performance test every three years, with the exception of new equipment (the first inspection of the device is after five years, and every subsequent one every three years).

Introducing improved PPP application techniques

PPP users must be familiar with the general principles of good agricultural practice, and before choosing a treated area, each user must assess the possibility of drift and apply PPP in such a way that the product does not rely on neighboring surfaces - "drift". Control organizations must not allow residues of unauthorized PPP in crops, regardless of whether they are the result of reliance on PPP from the environment or their own improper use.

Improved PPP application techniques enable better coverage of the sprayed surface and thus greater efficiency (optimized use of PPP) and less reliance ("drift") of these agents outside the application area during the spraying itself. It is necessary to achieve as little direct drift as possible, which is the result of the movement of air currents during spraying (wind). The extent of drift is highly dependent on the size of the droplets and the wind that affects the path of the droplets to the target. PPP users can influence the reduction of reliance on spray slurry during spraying due to chemical processes and post-application atmospheric phenomena through the decision to use the PPP (at appropriate temperature, humidity, wind).

Drift-reduced nozzles (“anti-drift nozzles”) significantly (by 50 to 90%) reduce PPP drift on non-target surfaces. Drift can also be reduced by using suitable sprayers, where PPP drift can be reduced by 75 to 90% with the use of drift reduction nozzles, use of air barriers, consideration of ecological and weather conditions during application and different PPP application techniques.

References

- https://www.gov.si/teme/trajnostna-raba-fitofarmacevtskih-sredstev/

- Act on phytopharmaceuticals: http://www.pisrs.si/Pis.web/pregledPredpisa?id=ZAKO6355

- Order prohibiting the circulation and use of certain phytopharmaceuticals on the territory of the Republic of Slovenia: http://www.pisrs.si/Pis.web/pregledPredpisa?id=ODRE2109

- Regulations on integrated protection of plants against harmful organisms: http://www.pisrs.si/Pis.web/pregledPredpisa?id=PRAV11530

- Rules on the correct use of phytopharmaceuticals: http://www.pisrs.si/Pis.web/pregledPredpisa?id=PRAV11541

- Rulebook on the conditions for trade in plant protection products and on the management and transmission of data on the sale of plant protection products: http://www.pisrs.si/Pis.web/pregledPredpisa?id=PRAV11540

- Regulations on training on plant protection products: http://www.pisrs.si/Pis.web/pregledPredpisa?id=PRAV11537