Trends of pesticide use in The Netherlands

In 1991, a policy plan was adopted in the Netherlands, one of whose aims was a 50% reduction in pesticide use by 2000. The present paper surveys pesticide sales since 1974 and the use of such compounds in different crops per hectare as well as for the country as a whole. The results show that by the mid-1990s, pesticide consumption in kilogram terms had been reduced by about 50% compared to the mid-1980s. This reduction, however, was almost totally caused by the reduction in the use of soil disinfectants, while reduction targets for herbicides and fungicides were not met at all. Arable crops, especially potatoes and maize, which cover large areas in the Netherlands, contributed most to total consumption, while apples, tulips and lilies also made considerable contributions. On a per hectare per year basis, pesticide consumption was highest in ornamental plants like roses, chrysanthemums, lilies and hyacinths, followed by vegetables grown in greenhouses, apples and pears and mushroom cultivation. A remarkable feature is that the majority of the 20 most commonly used compounds (in terms of total consumption in kilograms of active ingredient or area sprayed) had already been introduced before 1980. On a kilogram basis, fungicides and soil disinfectants were used in the largest quantities, together with mineral oil and followed by herbicides. On a per hectare basis, herbicides played a more important role, while one insecticide also featured.