Abstract

The EU has developed a Directive on Sustainable Use of Chemical Pesticides (2009/128/EC) (SUD) that aims to enhance the use of non-chemical alternatives to pesticides like microbial plant protection products (PPP). The number of authorized microbial PPP for plant protection has increased globally during the last decade. There is, however, variation between different countries. Sweden and Denmark have for example each authorized 20 microbial PPP while Norway has only authorized four microbial PPP. Norway has also received significantly fewer applications for authorization of microbial PPP than the other Scandinavian countries. We explore possible explanations for the observed differences. Our results show that that the regulations in the three countries had similar requirements for the authorisation of microbial PPP. The size of the market is somewhat smaller in Norway than in Sweden and Denmark, and could therefore explain some of the differences. We suggest, however, that the most important explanation is implementation differences in terms of different decisions made in the authorization process. By comparing the authorization process for three microbial PPP in the Scandinavian countries, we found that Norway used more time for the product authorization decisions. Norway assess the same types of microbial PPP more restrictively with respect to environmental aspects and especially human health risks.

To document

Abstract

The predatory mite Amblyseius andersoni (Acari: Phytoseiidae) is wanted as a new biocontrol product in Norwegian horticulture. The species was never found by Torgeir Edland, who surveyed the Norwegian fauna of phytoseiids for more than 20 years. Since A. andersoni has been found on blackberry in both Sweden and Denmark, we did a specific search for it in wild blackberry (Rubus tomentosus, sensu lato) in 2016. Almost 1500 potential phytoseiids were found on about 550 blackberry leaves collected near Sandefjord, Grimstad, Fredrikstad, and Ås. More than a third of these were examined at the Laboratory of Acarology (University of São Paulo, Brazil). Amblyseius andersoni was not found, but at least 10 other species of Phytoseiidae, all previously reported from Norway, were present. Thus, our survey supports earlier ones, indicating that A. andersoni is not naturally occurring in Norway. We conclude with some suggestions for an extended search.