Assessing applications to register equipment to reduce spray drift from plant protection products

A specific procedure has been set up in France to assess applications to register equipment to reduce spray drift from plant protection products. The legal and scientific aspects of this procedure are entrusted to INRAE.

Expert appraisals carried out by INRAE at the request of the DGAL

The regulations governing plant protection products include provisions for the protection of water points, residential areas and areas where vulnerable people live, which can be adapted provided that spray drift reduction equipment is used. INRAE has been commissioned by the Ministry of Agriculture (DGAL) to carry out these assessments. Within the DGAL, the Bureau des intrants et du biocontrôle (BIB) and the national environmental health expert are responsible for operational monitoring of the recognition of drift-reducing equipment.

Scientific benefits for INRAE: concrete cases to develop knowledge and integrate an inter-institute community

This expertise is closely linked to applied research into drift, which is developing our knowledge of the phenomena involved and enabling us to assess the performance of the equipment studied. The marked impact of drift on the exposure of local residents raises new methodological questions, and this activity is likely to generate more specific publications.

This activity is also helping to bring together an inter-institute task force on the issue of drift, making it possible to adapt the issues to the various production sectors and to strengthen the institutes’ experimental expertise.

Lastly, it allows for the creation and updating of anonymised drift databases to contribute to existing databases for the different types of equipment.