Eager to avoid mandatory restrictions, Bentazone manufacturer BASF has urged farmers to follow best practice and tightened its guidelines for use, warning that the broad-leaf herbicide Bentazone may be refused renewed EU approval or even subject to a ban, unless incidents of pollution are curtailed.   

Bentazone is the active ingredient in Basagran SG, used on pulse and potato crops. Data from the Environment Agency shows that the herbicide is now the most frequently detected approved pesticide in UK groundwater, and is also being found in surface water.  

In response to the revelation, BASF has launched a Bentazone EU Water Stewardship Programme, and is advocating growers use best practice in a bid to avoid legal restrictions on its product.  

BASF's Jonathan Ball commented on Friday, "Given the link between EU legislation on pesticides and water, there is a possibility that the EU approval for Bentazone will not be renewed, resulting in the revocation of all product registrations across Europe."

He added that the measures announced on Bentazone control are intended to protect the active ingredient from Europe-wide restrictions or a complete ban.

Bentazone guidance is offered under the Voluntary Initiative (a Bentazone Water Protection Advice Sheet, outlining best practice was published in Spring 2011). Advice on how to avoid runoff into ground and surface water was updated in February 2013. BASF said on Friday that its new programme goes beyond this by advocating responsible use of Bentazone in all areas of the UK.

However, Pesticide Action Network spokesperson Nick Mole questioned whether industry self-regulation will ultimately prove effective in driving responsible use of agricultural chemicals. He said, "When high levels of any pesticide are found in our water it is a matter of concern and of course an issue that needs to be looked at carefully. However, PAN UK questions the effectiveness of voluntary industry lead initiatives such as the one put forward to deal with bentazone."

He continued, "Recent reports of high levels of metaldehyde in water show that the industry lead voluntary measures are not working in that case. There needs to be far more work done in looking at why and how pesticides get into water and in particular how the situation is changing with our increasingly wet weather conditions." Mr Mole added that "the simplest solution of all [would be] a dramatic reduction in the amount of pesticides that are applied by introducing and promoting proper integrated pest management and organic farming techniques."

BASF's recommendations for products containing bentazone are:

Groundwater protection

• Do not apply bentazone on soils vulnerable to groundwater leaching:
  • soils with very low organic content (
  • soils with shallow groundwater (
  • soils with chalk or other limestone that are shallow (10% of surface area)

• Do not exceed 1000 g of bentazone per hectare per year (Basagran SG 1.15 kg/ha/year)
• Only use bentazone containing products in the spring and summer and not before 1st April in any calendar year.

Surface water protection

• Use a 6m grass buffer strip or a 5m no-spray zone adjacent to watercourses.