European Standing Committee votes to ban fungicide chlorothalonil

Resistance

Bill Clark, technical director at NIAB, said it is a huge loss to the industry and other multi-site fungicide alternatives are not as effective.

“The loss of CTL will have a big impact on septoria control but more importantly ramularia control in barley. There are alternatives in full fungicide programmes and we will be able to cope but the alternatives are not as effective as CTL.”

Mr Clark also said the loss of CTL will mean resistance issues in future fungicides are accelerated.

“We are helping to protect the other fungicides when we are mixing multi-sites and at the moment if you drop Bravo (chlorothalonil) and just rely on single-sites, the immediate impact would be negligible – we would still get good control for the first two to three years but it will put more pressure on the new chemistry that is coming through. They all need protecting and that is what CTL does.

“It is a blow, but we have got lots of trials to redesign fungicide programmes without it. Septoria resistant varieties are helping to protect but we do not have an answer for ramularia and I think that will be a real challenge without CTL.”

Losses

Ian Sands, chairman of NFU Scotland’s Combinable Crops Committee, who owns and contract farms just under 2000 acres in Perthshire, said: “Growers like myself will find it very hard to understand why a product that has been in use since 1964 is now deemed to be unsafe.

“Without doubt, this product is the main stay of fungal disease control in Scotland’s largest and most important crop, barley, where it is the only effective tool available for the control of ramularia leaf spot. A bad infestation can cause a fall in yield of 0.6 tonnes per hectare.

“Ramularia also impairs quality and can increase screenings, hitting those who are growing for a quality market like malt whisky.

“Given the huge importance of barley and wheat to the Scottish drinks industry, this could cause serious problems for this iconic sector.

“Factor in that this product is still going to be allowed to be used in other countries outside the EU, then this is disastrous for our growers.”

NFU estimated the loss of CTL on the yield and quality of UK wheat could lead to a 8-12 per cent increase in cost of production.

Potential

Jock Willmott, crop specialist at Strutt and Parker says the ban on CTL will have greater consequences for farmers in the UK and Ireland compared to other member states.

“The quickest spread of septoria resistance to fungicides is where you get the most rain, so typically in Ireland and in the west of the UK. Across the channel into France and Germany fungicides tend not to be under the same pressure certainly in wheat, so a loss of CTL will potentially affect the UK more than other Northern European countries.”

However, Mr Willmott says there could be light at the end of the tunnel when the UK exits the EU.

“Other trading nations like South America, where there is a lot of soya grown will still continue to use it, so if there is a chink of light post-Brexit we might be able to get it registered in this country. It might well be that it is going to be a necessity for wheat growing, unless they can get a really good septoria resistant varieties. Whether there could be some kind of derogation based on our climate, particularly for Ireland I do not know.”