Chemical potato protection in Poland and the neighboring countries

Abstract

Data regarding the availability of products for potato protection in January 2017 in Poland and the neighboring countries: Czech Republic, Lithuania, Germany, Slovakia are presented and analyzed in this paper. Significant differences among countries have been observed. The highest number of products for potato protection is registered in Czech Republic while the lowest in Lithuania. The number of registered products does not always reflect their diversity. The number of chemical groups of active substances varies depending on the group of product and it is the highest for herbicides and insecticides in Germany while for fungicides in Czech Republic. Regardless of product group, availability of active substances, as well as their groups it is the lowest in Lithuania. Because of tight availability of insecticides in Lithuania there is a concern about the possibility of proper resistance management. Products containing mixture of two active substances constitute about 40% of registered formulations of fungicides, below 20% of insecticides and below 10% of herbicides. Different mixtures are often registered in individual countries. Availability of biological products for potato protection is still low. There are comparatively few products that are registered and they are not available in all countries.