Azoles are widely used as fungicides in arable farming. A European reassessment is coming up and there is discussion about hormone disruption and resistance formation. As a result, extra attention is paid to the authorization of plant protection products based on these substances. Maritza van Assen, director of Nefyto until June 1,: “There are still many uncertainties surrounding the azoles.”
Azoles are active substances within an important group of fungicides that are widely used worldwide in many different crops. “The number of applications is therefore very large. They are also widely used in the Netherlands. Important crops are grains, potatoes, onions and flower bulbs. In other climate regions, the azoles are also used, for example, in the cultivation of coffee and tea.”
Azoles are antifungal substances that are used for the most diverse applications. “Think of preserved wood, anti-fungal paints, mattresses, cosmetics. But group of fungicides are also used in medicine, for both animals and humans. And in the latter application, a problem has come to light.”
Aspergillus fumigatus
Fungi can adapt to fungicides such as azoles in such a way that these fungi become resistant under certain circumstances and can no longer be controlled with those azoles. “Aspergillus fumigatus, a fungus that is ubiquitous in the environment, is an example of this. For people with a healthy immune system, such resistant fungi pose no threat. Only patients with a vulnerable immune system run a health risk if they get a fungal infection in the lungs.”
The flower bulb sector was under the most pressure in terms of Aspergillus resistance. But thanks to the protocol for dealing with vegetable waste, the working method in this sector has again been assessed as safe. “But I am convinced that this discussion will be broadened. The cabinet has already commissioned additional research into possible hotspots in the foliage of potatoes, onions and strawberries.”
Read the full interview with Maritza van Assen in the June trade journal Akkerwijzer . Not a subscriber yet? Request a free trial number here .
