Andalucia's RAIF issued a clarification on the use of potassium phosphonate products (formulated as potassium phosphite) for plant protection.
The note indicates that, regarding its marketing as a plant protection product, the potassium phosphonate has been approved as an active plant protection substance by Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009, which acknowledges its fungicidal properties
However, since no plant protection products formulated with potassium phosphite are registered at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment's Official Register of Phytosanitary Products and Materials, it can't be marketed or used in Spain.
Moreover, the Order 1470/2007 of May 24 regulates the marketing of other plant defence media (OMDF), by establishing in its first Article that plant protection products are not subject to the scope of their application. Thus, it is not possible to use potassium phosphite in OMDF formulations because it has been recognized to have fungicidal properties and it is approved at the European level as a plant active substance.
The fertilizers based on phosphorus and potassium may be marketed as EC fertilizer, provided that their formulation is included in Annex 1 of the Regulation (EC) No 2003/2003, and as national inorganic fertilizer provided the formulation is included in the Group 1 of the Royal Decree 506/ 2013 Annex 1. In this regard, it is worth noting that the products made from potassium phosphite also contain very low levels of phosphorus pentoxide (P2O5), which hasn't been regulated or authorized. Hence, it's not possible to market potassium phosphite as a fertilizer in Spain.
Additionally, in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 396 /2005, the maximum residue limit of fosetyl aluminium, an active substance, is defined as the sum of fosetyl and phosphorous acid and its salts, expressed as fosetyl. Consequently, the use of products made from potassium phosphite may result in the presence of residues quantified as fosetyl-aluminium, which may result in the detection or breach of the established MRLs.
Source: hortoinfo.es
