Benchmarking of potato pesticide use in Canterbury

Abstract

Pesticides for weed insect and disease control in potatoes in Canterbury were assessed via spray diaries tabulated using SprayView Analyst (HortPlus) Spray diaries for 1730 seed crops in six growing seasons (19992006) and 71100 process crops in four growing seasons (20032007) gave data for 13 of the area grown for seed for use by process factories and 28 of the area grown for process potatoes in New Zealand In the most recent growing seasons of the survey seed crops were mostly treated with metribuzin herbicide pencycuron mancozeb/metalaxylM azoxystrobin and propineb fungicides and methamidophos pymetrozine and pirimicarb insecticides Process crops had mostly cyanazine glyphosate linuron and metribuzin herbicides and pencycuron azoxystrobin chlorothalonil copper hydroxide fluazinam and mancozeb/metalaxylM fungicides Weeds pathogens of early and late blight and aphids were presumed the primary pest targets Pesticide resistance strategies were followed in later years in half of seed crops and most process crops