In the vegetable sector, there is currently a lot of attention for the use of potassium phosphite or potassium phosphonate. According to producers, it is applied as a fertilizer. Phosphite, however, is not the same as phosphate, which is a fertilizer. Phosphite, according to the law, is not classified as a plant enhancer, but as a pesticide and contributes to the residue content in the final product.
For crops where the Maximum Residue Limit (MRL EU) is low, exceedance can arise unnoticed. Tomato and Eggplant (100mg/kg), Paprika (130mg/kg) and Cucumber (75mg/kg) have a fairly high-EU MRL. In fruits and vegetables produced in the Netherlands, no MRL exceedances have been detected so far. Registered crop protection products authorized in Ducth greenhouses containing fosetyl-Al or fosetyl are: Previcur Energy (13221N), Budget Propamocarb-fosetyl (13835N), Aliette (11561N) and Fenomenal (12824N). These agents have their own admissions per crop (see www.ctb.agro.nl). These are not allowed in the covered cultivation of: lettuce, endive, radishes and aromatic herb plants. In substrate cultivation these are: zucchini, squash and cucumber, eggplant, tomato, paprika and chilli.
The analysis on Fosetyl-Al has to be explicitly requested, as the substance is not determined according to the multi-screening method. With the determination of the residue to Fosetyl-Al, the following active substances are added up. Namely, fosetyl-Al, phosphorous and potassium phosphonate (synonym: potassium phosphite). It makes no difference whether the active substances are derived from fertilizers or pesticides.
Registered Dutch plant protection products authorized in the protected vegetable sector that also contain fosetyl-Al or fosetyl are: Previcur Energy (13221N), Budget Propamocarb-fosetyl (13835N) and Fenomenal (12824N).
More information:
Groen Agro Control
Distributieweg 1
2645 EG Delfgauw
Tel: 015-2572511
Mob: 06-11347778
www.agrocontrol.nl
