Summary
This is the second survey presenting information on pesticide usage practices on soft fruit crops grown in Northern Ireland, providing comparative data to that obtained from the previous survey conducted in 1990 (Kidd et al., 1994). Data was collected from 59 soft fruit growers throughout the Province, representing 92% of holdings and 96% of the area of soft fruit crops grown in Northern Ireland in 1998. The main soft fruit crops included strawberries, raspberries, with smaller areas of black and red currants, blackberries, gooseberries, loganberries and tayberries. The data have been raised to give estimates of national pesticide usage.

Strawberries accounted for 77% of the total area of soft fruit grown, 66% of strawberry crops were grown in Counties Tyrone and Armagh. A total of 311 kilograms of pesticides were applied to 282 spray hectares of soft fruit crops. Pesticides were applied to 96% of the total area of soft fruit crops. Fungicides, applied to 55% of the total pesticide-treated area, represented 61% of the total pesticide usage by weight. The phenylsulfamide fungicide dichlofluanid continued to be the most extensively used fungicide accounting for approximately 45% of the fungicide-treated area used in the control of Botrytis and mildews. Myclobutanil and iprodione were also frequently used.

Herbicides were applied to 22% of the total pesticide-treated area, with paraquat accounting for 37% of the herbicide-treated area applied mainly for general weed control. Insecticides accounted for 15% of the pesticide-treated area and only 5% of the total weight of pesticides applied. Organophosphorus insecticide active ingredients represented 50% of the area treated with this pesticide group, with chlorpyrifos representing 22% of the insecticide-treated area. Dimethoate and the carbamate insecticide, pirimicarb individually represented 18% of the insecticide-treated area. Bifenthrin was also frequently used. Most insecticide applications were for aphid control.

The molluscicides were applied to 8% of the pesticide-treated area accounting for 3% of the total weight of pesticides applied. Of the two molluscicide active ingredients recorded for slug control metaldehyde and methiocarb, the latter was most commonly used on soft fruit crops.

Biological control methods used for insect pests were not previously recorded in 1990. In 1998 use of these methods represented 1.0% of the total pesticide-treated area. A total of 74 products including two biological controls, comprising 60 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