8 I EUROPEAN SEED I EUROPEAN-SEED.COM the continuing strong presence of generic players in almost all markets around the world. The industry consolidation [Editor’s note: more about this in Part 3] puts pressure on R&D, which we meet by leveraging partnerships.” There has also been the creation of global science-based regulatory framework over the last few decades that closely examines all phases of the pesticides product life-cycle, includ- ing proper handling, transport, labeling and the setting of allowable residue levels in food (known as Maximum Residue Limits or MRLs). Surman says it’s essential that the regulatory framework uses an evidence-based approach to understanding the results of using a product, to characterize it and its pro- posed uses to ensure that the safe use of products will contribute towards sustainable food production. of action,” he says. “This is linked to the implementation of a strict regulatory framework that guides the regis- tration of new products. The specific modes of action of modern crop protection products pose a risk of develop- ment of resistance in disease agents, weeds and insects, and there is much R&D occurring to monitor and fore- cast resistance development in the target pest to a given mode of action.” One way that resistance is being avoided and efficacy maintained, says Turner, is through compa- nies ensuring active ingredients are placed with the right chemical mixing ‘partner.’ •  Decrease in toxicity. A study done a few years ago by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, found that pes- ticide use in the country peaked in 1981 and has since steadily decreased, “driven by technological innovations and other factors.” As writer Marc Brazeau points out, this should be viewed in concert with the fact that the U.S. population grew from 230 million in 1980 to over 325 million today, while crop yields have increased dra- matically. Therefore, we can say that pesticide use has decreased substantially on a per capita and per bushel basis, at the same time, adds Surman, that toxicity levels of crop protection products have dropped and biodegra- dability has improved. Brazeau states that usage of Class I (highly toxic) chemicals has been almost completely abandoned and has shifted “dramatically away from Category II (moderately toxic) and Class III (slightly toxic) towards Category IV (practically non-toxic).” It is also not well known that organic farmers around the world are allowed to use hundreds of crop protection products, including many chemical agents, to control fungal diseases, insects and weeds (see full category lists created by the Organic Materials Review Institute https://www.omri.org/omri-lists/download) •  Increased demand for seed-applied solutions. “There has been – and continues to be – a rapid progres- sion of improvements in seed application technologies and techniques,” Wurst says. “In addition, the complexity that can be applied to seeds has also increased, with chemicals-based and biologicals-based seed treatments, biological inoculants, functional coatings and colorants that are customizable according to customers’ needs.” •  More social impact studies. Studies are now being undertaken to address societal issues related to crop protection, studies that Turner says are taking new directions and producing results that are challenging to interpret as there are no standard or consistent research protocols to apply. “The world’s population is expected to reach 9.1 bil- lion people in 2050, up from 7.4 billion in 2016,” says Corsi. “Farmers globally must increase food production 70 per cent, compared to 2007 levels, to meet the needs of the larger pop- ulation, according to a report from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Innovation in plant breed- ing is necessary to meet this global challenge, as well as the impacts of climate change.” Stayed tuned for parts two and three of this article in future issues. Specific changes to the crop protection sector include: •  Decrease in application rates. Turner considers this to be one of the most striking developments of the crop protection industry in the modern era. “Very often, we now talk about g/ha instead of the kg/ha that existed in the past,” he says. “Application methods have become much more precise, so that off-target impacts can be avoided. User safety is a predominant goal and leaving no residue on crops is critical to ensure the easy movement of produce around the globe.” Turner gives the example of recent advancements in delivery systems for auxin herbicides (for example, 2,4-D) that have led to products that have virtually no off-target movement. This demon- strates, he says, “that even products over 60 years old can be improved and employed in modern agriculture.” •  More environmental studies. Utz Klages, external com- munications lead of Bayer’s Crop Science division, notes that significant investments have been made in the last few decades in scientific studies to evaluate the fate of crop protection products in the environment (for example, degradation in soil) and to evaluate potential side effects of crop protection products on non-target organisms such as pollinators. “Crop protection products have improved safety profiles and this goes together with specific modes Track sprayer application of Chinese cabbage. (Photo submitted by Syngenta.)