GB Potatoes has confirmed that efforts to obtain an emergency approval for the continued use of mancozeb on potato crops have been unsuccessful. The fungicide, used primarily to protect potatoes against blight, was withdrawn from use in the UK at the end of the 2025 growing season.
The decision to remove approval for mancozeb use was taken by the Health and Safety Executive. In recent months, the HSE has been in discussions with GB Potatoes and agronomists to assess the feasibility of submitting an emergency authorisation application for the 2026 growing season.
GB Potatoes stated that an emergency authorisation allowing the use of mancozeb "would have delivered a significant resistance management benefit at a time of increasing pressure from blight resistance."
GB Potatoes CEO Scott Walker explained that a technical group was formed to explore the application process. "With support from Horticulture Crop Protection Ltd, a small group of technical experts was convened to develop an application and to engage constructively with the HSE on what would be required for approval.
"Positive engagement with the authorisation holder, UPL, enabled productive pre-application discussions to take place; it became clear that to meet HSE risk assessment requirements, any authorisation would be limited to a single application of mancozeb per crop."
Walker said such a limitation "would not be commercially viable given the additional stewardship requirements that would need to be put in place," while agronomists involved advised that "a single application would deliver only very limited resistance management benefit."
"As a result, and with great disappointment, the decision was taken not to proceed with an EA application for mancozeb," he added.
According to Walker, "all possible avenues were explored" before deciding not to pursue the emergency approval. He also acknowledged the cooperation received during the process, thanking the HSE for its "constructive liaison" on the matter.
In addition, Walker recognised the contributions of technical and advisory partners, including HCP and agronomists Eric Anderson of Scottish Agronomy, Ruairidh Bain of Scotland's Rural College, Graham Tomalin of VCS Potatoes, and David Cooke of the James Hutton Institute.
Source: Agriland
