Plant protection products; application for testing for authorization

The Bavarian State Institute for Agriculture can carry out tests on the efficacy and crop compatibility of plant protection products in accordance with Section 59 of the Plant Protection Act.

In Germany, as in other EU member states, only authorized plant protection products may be sold. Plant protection product manufacturers must therefore have new or reformulated plant protection products that have not yet been authorized tested. It must be ensured that plant protection products are sufficiently effective when used properly and as intended and do not have any unacceptable effects on the plants and plant products to be protected. These tests are part of the authorization.

At the Bavarian State Research Center for Agriculture, the efficacy and compatibility test is carried out by the working group for the "Official Agent Test" in accordance with Good Experimental Practice (GEP).

The test equipment requires instructions for use and a safety data sheet in accordance with Regulation (EC) No. 1907/2006.

The test facility must be certified according to "GEP". Among other things, a test supervisor must be permanently present, sufficiently qualified staff must be employed, the available equipment must be identifiable and standard operating procedures must be in place. The tests are carried out in accordance with the corresponding "EPPO guidelines" (European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization), which precisely specify the layout and evaluation of the respective test.

The plant protection product test must be applied for at the Bavarian State Institute for Agriculture.

If a company wishes to register a trial, the crop in which the trial is to be carried out must be named and the pests (indication) must be listed in detail. The company specifies the test substances to be tested, their respective application rates and the number and timing of applications. Test substances are only tested if a safety data sheet or instructions for use for the product provide information on proper application and the necessary user protection.

An inquiry as to whether the trial can be carried out with the desired test elements will be answered within four weeks.

Results on the effect of the plant protection products used can be expected within a few months to a year, depending on the research question and crop type.

The costs are based on Annex 1 Part 1 of the Ordinance on Fees and Expenses of the Bavarian State Institutes for Agriculture, Viticulture and Horticulture (LfLLWGGebV).

• Safety data sheet or instructions for use on proper application and information on the necessary user protection