“We are receiving feedback from lettuce growers and others who fear for their crops as pests spread throughout the summer, and they no longer have access to the plant protection products they previously relied on,” says Head of Department Ingeborg Klingen at NIBIO.
She is one of the authors behind the report, which highlights a broader issue: the lack of effective alternatives to chemical plant protection products in Norwegian agriculture.
“We have a goal of reducing the use of chemical products, but we still lack sufficiently effective solutions within integrated pest management (IPM) to replace them. This becomes very clear in situations like this,” says Klingen.
Could lead to major yield losses
According to the report, plant health is crucial for Norwegian food production. Without effective measures against pests, yield losses can range from 50 to 80 percent in some crops.
“This shows how vulnerable the system is. When we lack measures against specific pests, it has direct consequences for yields, farm economics, and food preparedness,” says Klingen.
Since 2015, Norway has followed the EU directive on the sustainable use of plant protection products, aiming for increased use of integrated pest management and reduced chemical inputs. However, more than ten years later, many of the solutions are still not in place.
“There are still too few practically applicable IPM tools available to growers. At the same time, we see that the use of some chemical products is increasing rather than decreasing,” she says.
Urgent need for new solutions
The report highlights several needs: more research and development of alternative methods, improved regulatory frameworks adapted to new solutions, and increased knowledge of how climate change affects pests.
“We need to develop new methods that can replace chemical products. This includes low-risk plant protection products, new technologies, and better understanding of the interactions between plants, pests, and the environment. When it comes to access to low-risk products, Norwegian farmers have fewer options than their counterparts elsewhere in Europe,” says Klingen.
She emphasizes that the challenge is not limited to lettuce but affects a wide range of crops in Norwegian agriculture.
“This is about the system as a whole. The lack of tools is not confined to a single pest or a single crop.”
Not all negative
Although the situation is challenging, the report also points out that Norwegian research and industry have made strong progress in certain areas. Precision agriculture and technologies for weed control have led to solutions that significantly reduce the use of plant protection products.
“Norwegian actors have been very successful in developing technologies that are used domestically and exported abroad. This shows that innovation in this field is possible,” says Klingen.
A growing balancing act
At the same time as more chemical plant protection products are being phased out for environmental and health reasons, the need for alternatives is increasing.
“We are facing a difficult balance: reducing chemical use while ensuring food production. That makes it essential to develop effective alternatives,” says Klingen.
For lettuce growers, the need is immediate. For agriculture, it is a warning signal.
“This highlights the importance of strengthening research, development, and collaboration between researchers, advisors, and the industry. Otherwise, we risk more such “gaps” in plant protection in the future,” she concludes.