The EU decision to exclude trifluralin from the Annex 1 listing, coupled with the Pesticide Safety Directorate's phasing out of products containing IPU by June 2009 is a double disappointment for the industry, according to the Agricultural Industries Confederation (AIC).
"Both IPU and trifluralin are used widely and, although alternatives to IPU are available, the potential loss of trifluralin could have far reaching implications for oilseed rape and horticultural production," said Hazel Doonan, AIC's head of crop protection and agronomy.
"Trifluralin is a particularly useful tool for grassweed resistance management in a range of arable and horticultural crops. Its loss will put additional pressure on the remaining few active substances available, and could lead to reliance in some cases on one active substance - jeopardising resistance management.
"Also, in areas where water protection is a concern, reliance on a smaller range of active substances increases the likelihood that some growers will simply be unable to grow certain crops on their land.
"Rather than withdrawing active substances in isolation, regulatory bodies should consider the actual risk products pose to the environment and the implications of limiting the ability of UK farmers to produce food and energy crops efficiently," concluded Doonan.