Legislation
The Legal Position of Adjuvants
A. What is an adjuvant?
The Pesticide Safety Directorate (PSD) define an adjuvant as follows:-
A substance other than water without significant pesticidal properties, which enhances or is intended to enhance the effectiveness of a pesticide, when it is added to that pesticide.
All adjuvants sold in the UK have to be authorised by PSD. They scrutinise data such as effect on pesticide residues, mammalian and aquatic toxicology, environmental data etc. Provided the information is acceptable, the adjuvant is authorised and given a unique adjuvant (ADJ) number.
B. Additives not defined by PSD as adjuvants or pesticides
There are several classes of "additives" which are used together with pesticides which fall outside the PSD definitionof either a pesticide or an adjuvant.
For these products there are no statutory restrictions from PSD as to their use, and they are not required to be authorised or approved by PSD e.g.:-
C. Where can you use adjuvants?
The area where one may use an adjuvant is defined under the following six headings:-
- 1st Field of Use (defines the use areas):-
e.g. FOR USE ONLY AS AN AGRICULTURAL/HORTICULTURAL/ FORESTRY WETTING AGENT
- 2nd Specific authorised uses for the adjuvant
e.g. Edible and non-edible crops - all approved pesticides whose labels recommend the addition of a wetting agent or adjuvant oil.
When the pesticide product and adjuvant are applied before a significant part of the consumable part of the crop has developed - see table:-
Crop |
Growth Stages before which De Sangosse Adjuvants may be used with approved pesticides |
1. Combinable crops & maize |
|
Cereals |
up to and including GS 52 (1/4 inflorescence) |
Oilseed rape |
up to and including 10% potential pods |
Broad Bean, dwarf French bean, field bean, runner bean |
up to and including first pod set |
Combining Peas and vining peas |
up to and including flat pod |
Linseed |
up to and including 10% capsules formed |
Forage Maize |
up to and including tip of tassle visible |
2. Root crops |
|
Sugar beet |
up to and including 6 fully expanded leaves |
Potatoes |
up to and including tuber initiation |
3. Vegetable crops |
|
Brussels Sprouts |
up to and including lateral buds begin to develop |
Cauliflower |
up to and including cauliflower heads begin to form; width of growing tip up to 1 cm2 |
Cucumber |
up to and including first fruit set |
Lettuce |
Varieties forming heads: up to and including heads begin to form |
Varieties not forming heads up to and including leaf rosette has reached 30% of the diameter typical for the variety |
|
Edible podded peas |
up to and including pod set |
Tomato |
up to and including first fruit set on first truss |
4. Fruit and Hops |
|
Apples/pears |
up to and including fruit 5-10 mm |
Blackcurrant |
up to and including first visible green fruitlet |
Cherry, plum, peach, almond and apricot |
up to and including first fruit set |
Table grapes and wine grapes |
up to and including first fruit set |
Hops |
up to and including cone set |
Raspberries |
up to and including first fruit set |
Strawberries |
up to and including first fruit development |
4th With up to a 50% rate of the pesticide
All approved pesticides on all edible crops provided that the statutory conditions of use for the pesticide are followed and that the pesticide is not used at more than 50% of the maximum recommended rate for that application.
5th Non-edible crops
All approved pesticides on all non-edible crops provided that the statutory conditions of use for the pesticide are followed.
6th As directed on the pesticide label
Certain pesticides recommend the use of a specific adjuvant/adjuvant type which may or may not be contained in the above Statutory Conditions of Use.
D. Overlap area (non-statutory conditions of use)
There is an "overlap area" where an authorised adjuvant has properties and uses which are outside the scope of the PSD adjuvant legislation e.g:-
Product type |
Example |
Water conditioners |
Li-700 |
Acidification Agents |
Li-700 |
Improving trace element uptake |
Silwet L-77, Li-700 |
Drift control agents |
Bond, Li-700, Silwet L-77 |
e.g. the use of Li-700 as:-
Water conditioner
Acidification agent
Anti-drift agent
Improving trace element uptake
These uses are not subject to the PSD Statutory Conditions of Use for Li-700 and as such Li-700 can be used, irrespective of crop or growth stage, providing there is a good scientific reason for doing so.