New buffer zone scheme

New controls over certain pesticides used in ground crop sprayers were recently announced by Jeff Rooker, the Food Safety Minister. The aim is to prevent watercourses from spray drift and has the support of English Nature and the Environment Agency. About 400 agricultural pesticide products containing 40 different active ingredients are currently subject to buffer zones. This represents about 10 per cent of the total number of approved agricultural pesticide products. Buffer zones are applied to approvals for the most environmentally hazardous pesticides to prevent unacceptable levels of spray drift reaching watercourses.

For insecticides containing organophosphates and synthetic pyrethroids users must retain the larger buffer zone. The new scheme will provide an opportunity for spray machinery manufacturers to develop technical solutions to minimise spray drift.