Lack of evidence for a decrease in synthetic pesticide use on the main arable crops in France

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Science
• Environmental Science
• Ecotoxicology

Background:

• Pesticide use in agriculture poses risks to biodiversity, human health, and water quality.
• The French government introduced the

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of the French

Main Methods:

• Analysis of synthetic pesticide sales using three indicators: number of unit doses (NUD), quantity of active ingredient (QAI), and treatment frequency index (TFI).
• Assessment of pesticide use trends on seven major arable crops in France.
• Evaluation of the impact of pesticide use changes on water quality.

Main Results:

• No significant decrease in national synthetic pesticide sales was observed between 2008 and 2013.
• A slight decrease in pesticide use, measured by TFI, was noted for soft wheat, but not significantly accelerated after 2006.
• Regional and crop-specific variations in pesticide use changes were identified, with no overall reduction in water pollution.

Conclusions:

• The