Less pesticide used in agriculture
Less application of fungicides and bactericides
In 2020, almost 2.2 million kg of crop protection products (i.e. the weight of the active substance) were applied to control fungi and bacteria. Although this is nearly 20 percent less than in 2016, it remains the most widely applied group of pesticides, constituting nearly 44 percent of the total. As for herbicides and haulm destructors, over 1.2 million kg of active substance were applied, i.e. 14 percent less than in 2016 and in 2012. The use of insecticides and acaricides rose by nearly 12 percent to just over 1.3 million kg in 2020. The use of other products, including molluscicides, plant growth regulators and sprout inhibitors, declined by 10 percent relative to 2016 to nearly 0.2 million kg. Weather conditions during cultivation play a major role in these sorts of changes.| Perioden | Fungicides and bactericides (x million kg of active substance) | Insecticides and acaricides (x million kg of active substance) | Herbicides, haulm destructors and moss killers (x million kg of active substance) | Other agents (x million kg of active substance) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020* | 2.19 | 1.34 | 1.25 | 0.21 |
| 2016 | 2.74 | 1.2 | 1.45 | 0.23 |
| 2012 | 2.8 | 1.08 | 1.69 | 0.19 |
| *provisional figures | ||||
Pesticide use declining in most crops
In two-thirds of the 42 agricultural crops surveyed, fewer crop protection products were used in 2020 compared to 2016. For example, 601 thousand kilograms were used during the cultivation of lily bulbs, against 755 thousand kilograms in 2016 (a decline of almost 21 percent). On the other hand, seed potato cultivation involved nearly 1.1 million kilograms, i.e. 27 percent more than in 2016. The total quantity used to protect table potatoes, seed potatoes and starch potatoes amounted to 2.2 million kg. This is equivalent to nearly 44 percent of all crop protection products used in agriculture in 2020.Paraffin oil is commonly used as an insecticide during the cultivation of lily bulbs as well as seed potatoes.
| Perioden | 2020* (x 1,000 kg of active substance) | 2016 (x 1,000 kg of active substance) |
|---|---|---|
| Seed potatoes | 1052 | 827 |
| Lily bulbs | 601 | 755 |
| Table potatoes | 600 | 936 |
| Starch potatoes | 525 | 502 |
| Tulips (outdoor) | 385 | 360 |
| Sugar beets | 363 | 273 |
| Seed onions | 356 | 414 |
| Pears | 195 | 272 |
| Maize silage | 160 | 236 |
| Winter wheat | 134 | 201 |
| Apples | 131 | 227 |
| Onion sets | 115 | 117 |
| Spring barley | 34 | 30 |
| Narcissi | 26 | 22 |
| Hyacinths | 24 | 28 |
| *provisional figures | ||
Pesticide use per hectare declining
The crop with the highest pesticide intensity is the lily bulb. In 2020, each hectare of lily bulbs under crop protection was treated with 114 kg of pesticide, which included 83 kg of paraffin oil. This represents a modest decrease relative to 2016 (125 kg per ha). Greenhouse-cultivated bulbs such as chrysanthemums and roses were treated with 52 and 40 kg pesticide per hectare, respectively. Tulips (open ground, bulbs) and gerberas completed the top five of crops with the highest pesticide intensity per hectare.
Aside from flowers and flower bulbs, relatively large quantities of crop protection products were applied in the cultivation of seed potatoes, apples and pears: between 20 and 35 kg of active substance per hectare under crop protection. Among other crops, the intensity is less than 15 kg per hectare.
Pesticide application per area declined for most crops between 2016 and 2020. Exceptions included seed potatoes (up by nearly 20 percent) and narcissi (up by over 21 percent).
| Perioden | 2020* (x kg of active substance per ha) | 2016 (x kg of active substance per ha) |
|---|---|---|
| Lilies (bulbs) | 113.7 | 124.5 |
| Chrysanthemums (under glass) | 52.1 | 76 |
| Roses (under glass) | 40.1 | 84 |
| Tulips (outdoor) | 25.8 | 28.1 |
| Gerberas (under glass) | 25.3 | 40.8 |
| Seed potatoes | 24 | 20.1 |
| Apples | 21.8 | 31.9 |
| Pears | 19.7 | 29.2 |
| Gladioli | 19.4 | 35.7 |
| Narcissi | 17.6 | 14.5 |
| Hyacinths | 17 | 19.8 |
| Seed onions | 13.1 | 17.7 |
| Onion sets | 12.4 | 15.7 |
| Pot plants (flowering under glass) | 12.4 | 15.8 |
| Starch potato | 11.6 | 12 |
| *provisional figures 1)during use of at least one crop protection product | ||