State of Science :: Pesticides
Pesticide Use by Washington State Potato Growers, 2005
July 2010
Author(s): Charles Benbrook
TOC Chief Scientist
An overview is presented of Washington State pesticide use on potato farms in 2005. On the average acre of conventional potatoes --
- Over 10 different pesticides were applied, including 4.6 fungicides, 2.2 herbicides, 3 insecticides, and 1.3 other pesticides;
- Over 17 acre-treatments were made on each acre (an "acre-treatment" is the application of a single pesticide to an acre or field);
- Almost 10 pounds of fungicides were applied per acre, over 5 pounds of insecticides, and 2 pounds of herbicides, for a total 14 pounds of H+I+F per acre.
The above totals do not count the average 103 pounds per acre of "Other Pesticides" applied on Washington State potato fields. These other pesticides include the soil fumigant metam-sodium, which is applied at a rate of 158 pounds per acre and dichloropropene (applied at 160 pounds/acre).
