In the 1980’s, as more Kenyan farmers moved to using crop protection products as part of their growing practices, a clear need emerged for safe use training to ensure these farmers used their products safely and responsibly. In 1991, CropLife International launched its first Responsible Use Pilot Projects.
In Kenya, an initial phase focused on “training
The plant science industry trains over 300,000 stakeholders every year in the safe use of its products and in integrated crop management (ICM).
Successful programs, like in India, have allowed farmers to improve the quality of their production and access new markets.
For example, Muvva Ramachandrao, a chili grower in Andra Pradesh, India, has been able to
GM crops and crop protection products can help increase yields by limiting losses.
Since 1996, the average yield impact across the total global area planted with insect resistant traits over the 11 year period has been +5.7 percent for corn traits (or an added 47 million tonnes of corn) and +11.1 percent for cotton traits (or
Improving the formulation of pesticides and moving towards more precise irrigation and applications systems can help increase water efficiency.
For example, the use of air induction nozzles, which mix air with the spray liquid, can reduce water volumes used from 1,500-2,000 liters with conventional sprayers to 200-800 litres.
If the water-based sprays are combined with high precision
