Dossier
Glyphosate
Both in the Netherlands and other countries, there is a debate about chemical plant protection products, with glyphosate in particular. Opponents point to its risks to humans and the environment and want an accelerated ban. On the contrary, others believe that no hard evidence has ever been found for this. Compared to other plant protection products, they see glyphosate as a product that - if applied properly and selectively - contributes to crop protection in an effective and sustainable way. They also point to the risk of sharply declining yields, jeopardising food security.
Within Wageningen University & Research (WUR), research is being conducted into the usefulness and necessity of plant protection products for plants and crops, as well as the impact on the environment. Researchers also look at ways to further reduce the use of crop protection products. This dossier gives an overview of the knowledge and research within WUR on this subject.
Integrated pest and disease management
Research shows that an integrated application of prevention, mechanical and biological control and occasionally targeted chemical crop protection is currently the most effective way to protect crops against pests and diseases. Within this so-called ‘integrated pest management' glyphosate plays an important role. Glyphosate blocks in plants the formation of certain enzymes. This kills weeds that are not resistant. By targeted application once every 6 or 7 yearsin a multi-year approach, perennial weeds are effectively controlled. An additional advantage is that less mechanical tillage is needed in the remaining years. This is beneficial for the soil, because a healthy and erosion-resistant soil benefits from as little tillage as possible.
Reducing the use of crop protection products
Reducing the use of crop protection products is an important research theme within WUR. Promising results are being achieved in these studies, but from the perspective of food security, agronomic researchers still advocate caution in the accelerated introduction of a total ban on glyphosate or other crop protection agents, especially for precision agricultural applications where no alternatives to glyphosate are currently available.
Is glyphosate harmful?
The toxicity of glyphosate to humans and the environment has been studied for years. It is known - if applied selectively - to be safer than other pesticides. Plant protection products must also meet safety standards. The CTGB ensures that these requirements are met.
Research is also being conducted within WUR into possible effects of glyphosate on the environment. For example, the extent to which glyphosate is found in agricultural soils has been examined. Data from more than 300 soil samples from agricultural soils in several European countries showed that glyphosate and AMPA (the most stable breakdown product of glyphosate) were found in 45% of these samples. The concentrations of AMPA found were higher than those of glyphosate. The highest measured amount of AMPA was 2 mg per kilogram of soil. There is no official standard for soil; for drinking water, the maximum standard is 0.1 µg per litre. To what extent this has negative effects on soil biodiversity, aquatic life and humans is the subject of research.
News
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Wageningen World: Cut pesticide use, but how?
- The European Commission wants to halve pesticide use by 2030. On paper, a lot of progress can be booked through smart innovation, and yet change is often slower than hoped. Successful green innovation requires knowledge of plant cultivation, behavioural science, technology and ecology. ‘We want much more of an idea of how farmers think.’ -
Full short-term ban on glyphosate could be counterproductive
- A complete ban on the use of glyphosate in agriculture in the short term will lead to farmers more frequently using other pesticides and also non-chemical alternatives that, on balance, are not necessarily better for humans, the environment, soil life and the climate. This is what agronomist field researchers from Wageningen University & Research warn in a memorandum prepared at the request of the Dutch parliament’s committee on Agriculture, Nature & Food Quality. The reason for this request is the European Commission's proposal to extend the authorisation of glyphosate by 10 years. EU member states must decide in the coming months whether to agree to this proposal. -
Transition to sustainable arable farming given new impulse with €10 million research grant
- Arable farmers, government agencies, crop protection organisations, breeders, nature conservation organisations, banks, food chain partners, environmental education and researchers are joining forces to achieve a breakthrough in the transition to sustainable arable farming. The Dutch Research Agenda (NWA) is funding a major study that should help accelerate the realisation of this goal. Sustainable arable farming is based on the ecological principle of crop diversity. The €10 million research grant will enable the interdisciplinary team to develop new knowledge about the ecological principles that make crop systems sustainably productive and to identify socio-economic and societal factors that hinder or enable the transition to crop-diversity-based agricultural systems. The project is led by researchers from Wageningen University & Research.