News Crop protection
When will green replace chemistry?
As the chemical crop protection product package decreases, the number of permitted 'green' products and biocides increases. Nevertheless, the correct assessment and recognition of such a substance remains difficult. Assessor Ctgb explains what is involved.
In 2018, the Board for the Authorization of Plant Protection Products and Biocides (Ctgb) admitted 120 new plant protection products to the Dutch market. Almost 30 cases involved so-called 'green resources'. That may not seem like much, but in 10 years the share has increased substantially.
Those 120 admissions may not be so crazy after all. However, Ctgb nuances this by stating that there are several applications per product. The permitted substances are both new products and re-registrations. In addition to 120 plant protection products, 150 biocides were authorised. Of the total number of applications, 12% were rejected or withdrawn by the applicant. The total number of authorized plant protection products in the Netherlands last year amounted to 1.000 products.
New fabrics
However, if you look at the newly developed active ingredients, you see a different picture. Industry association Nefyto presented clear figures at their annual conference. In 2017, for which the most recent data is available, 0 new active substances were registered. In 2016 that was 1 substance. Worldwide, 4 new substances were registered. The development costs are sky-high, there are only a few parties left that develop new substances themselves, and the European Union (EU) is increasingly being transshipped. The admission procedure is strict and politicians have a discouragement policy.
The importance of 'green resources' is therefore growing. A lot of development is taking place here, especially by a large number of players. Within the EU, the same authorization procedure applies to green products as to chemical products. Anne Steenbergh is a scientific assessor at the Ctgb. She explains how a green product is assessed.
No separate status
"The difficult thing is that the EU does not have a separate status for these substances, where that is the case in other parts. The assessment criteria therefore do not always fit well. For example, used substances sometimes already occur in nature. You have to take that into account. A chemical agent consists of 1 substance, while green agents often combine several substances."
The Ctgb divides the so-called 'biopesticides' into 3 categories: plant extracts (botanicals), signal substances (pheromones) and micro-organisms. These are different from the so-called 'low-risk substances'. "A low-risk substance does not have to be biological and vice versa," explains Nicole van Straten. She is manager of scientific assessment and advice at the Ctgb.
Of the 29 green products that were authorized in 2018, 8 are low-risk substances. In addition, 13 substances are potentially a low-risk substance. Another 8 products do not fully meet the low-risk criteria, but do have a minor impact on people, animals and the environment. An example is acetic acid, which is therefore allowed.
Assessment procedure
However, it becomes even more complicated for the 75 scientists employed by the Ctgb. "Micro-organisms can secrete substances that are dangerous again," Steenbergh explains. "European Member States sometimes use different approaches. The assessment procedure therefore needs to be updated."
Within the Ctgb there is a Green Team that is involved in developing the guidelines that the EU uses. In the absence of clarity, manufacturers shun the EU. In 2016/2017, some 400 substances were approved in the EU, of which almost 25% are of biological origin.
Niels van der Boom
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