Use of pesticides in agricultural and horticultural production 2018 (provisional)

Information on the use of pesticides in agriculture has been collected from farmers in 2013 and in 2018. The provisional results of 2018 include broad bean and caraway as new crops. Horticultural crops, seed treatment products as well as applied amounts of active substances are only included in the final results that will be published in February or March 2019.

In 2018, the total use of pesticides was less than in 2013:

• Cultivated area of most cereal crops, potato and sugar beet was smaller in 2018.
• Dry weather decreased the need for and profitability of plant protection.
• Absence of seed treatment products in the provisional results especially reduces the applied amount of plant disease products.
• Proportions of the different pesticide groups were similar in 2013 and 2018.

Pest control was relative extensive in 2018:

• High incidence of bird cherry-oat aphid in cereals.
• Silver Y in caraway, sugar beet, broad bean, turnip rape and rape.