The professional fruit cultivation is now being confronted with new demands from the food trade. They demand that the number of active substances in crop protection agents should be limited and that the maximal allowance of residue of crop protection agents on fruit has to be lowered. Scientists of European fruit cultivation institutes believe it will endanger the sustainable fruit cultivation in Central Europe, reports the German website Gabot.de.
In a joint declaration scientists from the German institutes KOB-Bavendorf and ESTEBURG and of the Austrian testing centre Laimburg pointed out that these demands are not scientifically attainable and in the interest of the consumers and the sustainable production of healthy foods is even counter-productive, a press release states.
The risk of vermin becoming resisting would increase if the number of active substances were to be limited, because the same substances would be used every time. The demand the that maximal allowance of residue of crop protection agents, is scientifically unobtainable. According to long term research by the German food control and own research results, people are already far enough under the maximum values.
For over 20 years fruit has been grown in Central Europe according to the guidelines of the controlled 'integrated fruit cultivation'. These guidelines also aim for reducing the residue of crop protection on fruit. This is how natural enemies of vermin are deliberately protected and supported. The crop protection measures are continually changed wherever needed through observations and prognosis. Innovations from science and intensive advice from the fruit growers have led to obvious progress in the last two decades, according to the scientists. The practice of the integrated fruit cultivation guarantees that healthy fruit will be produced for friendly prices in the future.