Check 'generic' pesticide labels to preserve SFP

Take extra care when using off-patent pesticides to avoid jeopardising single farm payments, warns Monsanto after what it says is significant tightening of cross-compliance policing by the Rural Payments Agency.

Previously, most first-time breaches of Statutory Management Requirements or Good Agricultural and Environmental Condition rules resulted in warning letters. From this year most non-compliances found in random spot checks could result in SFP cuts.

SMR9, which requires growers andadvisers to use only UK-approved plant protection products strictly in accordance with the labels, should be of particular concern.

Intentional breaches of the rules are heavily penalised. But even technical failures to comply with label usage are classed as at least medium severity, and so liable for SFP reductions of 3-5% in the official RPA 2009 Reduction Matrix, says stewardship specialist Manda Sansom.

Active ingredients like glyphosate, sold in many products with different labels, are especially vulnerable to SMR9 breaches through negligence.

"Not only do glyphosate products come in a range of different salts and active ingredient loadings, theyvary widely in surfactant formulations and loadings, all of which have a direct bearing on their approvals and permitted usage.

"For instance, label restrictions limit the vast majority of generic glyphosates to one application in a situation or year, so they can't be used in multiple stale seed-beds, or even for spraying the same stubble in both autumn and spring."

Many products are not approved for pre-cutting in grassland, and high-rate perennial weed control use ahead of sugar beet and potatoes is not permitted for most generic glyphosates, she adds. Nor can most be used post-planting, pre-emergence or in mixtures with residual herbicides.

"As with other widely available off-patent actives, all glyphosates aremanifestly not the same, and tightercross-compliance policing means no one can afford to ignore this.