News Crop protection
Closing definitively for Mancozeb
After almost 60 years, the curtain has finally fallen for the fungicide Mancozeb. Agriculture Minister Carola Schouten recently spoke negatively about a temporary extension of the crucial fungicide. During the Scopaff meeting in Brussels, it was decided that the drug would permanently disappear from the European market.
Since Mancozeb was associated with Parkinson's disease, the position quickly became untenable. Despite the continued delay in the admission procedure, this sentiment did not turn to positive. During the digital consultation of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed (Scopaff), it was decided to ban the active substance. Some European member states applied for a renewed license because of the important function of the product. It mainly concerned southern European countries that use the active ingredient in grape and fruit cultivation.
Negative voice
In the arable farming sector, Mancozeb has been used for many years in, among other things, potato and onion cultivation for the control of fungi: mildew, phytophthora and alternaria. It is also used in wheat and beets. Many growers therefore consider it an indispensable product in their arsenal. One of the most important components is manganese (20%), which means that products based on Mancozeb also function as foliar fertilizer. In total, the substance has no fewer than 900 applications in the European Union.
On 21 October, Schouten once again informed the House of Representatives about her position not to agree to the renewed registration for the active substance. This advice was also issued by the Ctgb. That is not a surprise. The minister had already made this decision before. Member States in the European Union now have 6 months to stop sales and delivery, after which a 6-month use-up period applies. This means that Mancozeb can be sprayed for the last time during the 2021 season. The final dates are yet to be published.
What does this mean for arable farmers? To start with, a cost increase. Mancozeb was a relatively cheap active ingredient that was used in many products. For example Acrobat, Dithane, Fubol Gold and Valbon. The agents are available as granulate and in a liquid variant. From now on, growers have to fall back on the active ingredient difenoconazole for the control of alternatia. There are no alternatives.
Resistance is lurking
Another factor is that Mancozeb is a multi-site fungicide that is not resistant to resistance. Alternatives are not aware of this aspect, which means that resistance is quickly lurking. That is why Mancozeb has been added to most fungicides, such as the highly effective Zorvec NZeb. There are more alternatives for phytophthora control, but, as mentioned, resistance monitoring is lacking here. In the short term, drug manufacturers have no alternatives, which can make fungal control a major challenge. Growers with the PlaneProof certificate were already not allowed to use Mancozeb.
Commenting on the Scopaff decision, licensee UPL, who heads the Mancozeb Task Force, said there were many errors in the admissions file that thwarted re-registration. The task force reports that it is considering alternatives so that growers can continue to use the product.
Niels van der Boom
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