This survey of the pesticide usage practices of vegetable growers, in Northern Ireland in 1991, indicated that 6,979 kilograms of pesticides were applied to 5,962 spray hectares. Information was collected from 121 growers, representing 80% of the total area of vegetable crops grown for human consumption. Brassicas and root crucifers accounted for 57% of the total area of vegetable crops grown and 52% of the total vegetable crop area was grown in County Down.

Overall, regional pesticide usage approximated to the areas of vegetables grown in each county and the pesticide-treated area of individual crop types was related to the area of each crop grown. Pesticides were applied to 97% of the total area of vegetable crops with a mean of three applications.

Insecticides were applied to 36% of the pesticide-treated area, accounting for 19% of the weight of pesticide used. The four insecticide active ingredients most commonly recorded were demeton-S-methyl, chlorpyrifos, cypermethrin, on brassica crops, and phorate, primarily on carrot and parsnip crops.

Herbicides, applied to 36% of the pesticide-treated area, accounted for 51% of the total pesticide usage, by weight. The urea herbicide linuron applied to carrot and parsnip crops, was overall, the most frequently used active ingredient. Metoxuron was also frequently used on these crops, while propachlor, trifluralin and desmetryn were more commonly applied to brassica crops.

Fungicides accounted for 12% of total pesticide usage in area of application and weight applied. Chlorothalonil, benomyl and iprodione were most commonly used on brassica crops, leeks and onions while a formulation of mancozeb and metalaxyl was more frequently used on carrot and parsnip crops.

Seed treatments were used on 14% of the pesticide-treated area and accounted for 0.2% of the total weight of pesticide applied. Fungicide seed treatments comprised five formulations of six active ingredients. Iprodione and metalaxyl/thiabendazole were used primarily on carrot crops and the remaining active ingredients, including benomyl, drazoxolon and thiram, were used generally on all other crops. The only insecticide seed treatment recorded in use, captan/g-HCH, was applied almost exclusively to turnip and swede crops.

The molluscicides metaldehyde and methiocarb were rarely used and only recorded on brassica, lettuce and carrot crops in the survey.

A total of 93 products, comprising 64 active ingredients were recorded in this survey.

A full list of published reports is available together with abstracts from other relevant published work.

For further information on this work please contact:

Pesticide Usage Survey Group
Agri-food and Biosciences Institute
Newforge Lane
Belfast BT9 5PX

Email: pesticide.science@afbini.gov.uk
Tel: +44 (0)28 90 255689
Fax: +44 (0)28 90 255035