Summary
A survey of the pesticide usage practices of top fruit growers, in Northern Ireland in 1996, indicated that approximately 24.6 tonnes of pesticide active ingredients were applied to 27,237 spray hectares. Information was collected from 100 growers, representing 24% of the total number of holdings and 66% of the total area of top fruit grown. Approximately 91% of all top fruit crops were grown in County Armagh. Fruiting Bramley apple orchards accounted for 88% of the total top fruit grown.

Overall, regional pesticide usage approximated to the areas of top fruit 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 98% of the total area of top fruit crops with a mean of 16 applications.

Fungicides were applied to 79% of the pesticide-treated area, accounting for 84% of the weight of pesticides applied. Penconazole, dithianon, captan, mancozeb and myclobutanil continued to be the five most commonly recorded fungicide active ingredients, applied primarily to control apple scab (Venturia inaequalis). Captan and penconazole were applied prinicipally in formulation.

Insecticides and acaricides, applied to 15% of the pesticide-treated area, accounted for 9% of the total pesticide usage by weight. As previously observed in 1992, three insecticide active ingredients accounted for 79% of the insecticide/acaricide-treated area of top fruit crops. Fenitrothion, chlorpyrifos and pirimiphos-methyl were the insecticides most extensively used. The acaricide clofentezine was the most commonly used to control red spider mite (Panonychus ulmi). Dicofol and tetradifon were also frequently used.

Herbicides/desiccants accounted for 4% of the pesticide-treated area, representing 7% of the weight of pesticides applied. Glyphosate and paraquat were the herbicide/desiccant active ingredients most frequently used for ‘general weed control’.

Growth regulators accounted for 3% and 1% of the pesticide-treated area and weight applied, respectively. Of the two growth regulator active ingredients recorded, paclobutrazol accounted for over 98% of both the growth regulator-treated area and quantity applied.

Tar oils, a mixed activity active ingredient, was applied as a winter wash to fourteen and four spray hectares of plums and fruiting Bramley orchards, respectively, to control overwintering pests and diseases.

A total of 73 products, comprising 53 active ingredients, were recorded in the survey.

Information was also collected relating to orchard floor management to control grass and weeds. It was estimated there were 512 orchards in Northern Ireland in 1996 and orchard floor information for 432 was calculated. Approximately 5% of these orchards were grazed. Mowing was the most commonly used method for inter-row grass and weed control, practised in 95% of orchards. While mowing around the base of the trees was employed in 22% of orchards, herbicide applications for grass and weed control around the tree bases were used in 65% of orchards.

In addition to information concerning applications of pesticides during the growing season, data relating to post-harvest/storage treatments to top fruit going into storage were also collected. It was estimated that 12,435 tonnes of Bramley apples were stored following the 1996 cropping season. Approximately 53% of the growers surveyed stored Bramley apples, either on-farm or at local apple stores, of which 97% received pesticide or antioxidant treatment prior to storage. An estimated 0.9 tonnes of pesticide and antioxidant active ingredients was applied to 12,050 tonnes of Bramley apples with a mean of 2 applications. Only 384 tonnes of Bramley apples stored were untreated. Carbendazim was the most frequently used fungicide active ingredient applied to stored Bramley crops, while diphenylamine was the most extensively used antioxidant. A total of five products, comprising four single active ingredients and one formulation, were recorded as used on stored Bramley crops.

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