Reports on damages of farm products caused by diseases and insects resistant to agricultural chemicals are increasing in Japan, a survey conducted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) revealed.
According to MAFF’s fiscal 2016 survey on outbreaks of pesticide-resistant diseases and insects, 1,285 cases of pesticide resistance that broke out on farms sprayed with insecticide, bactericide, or herbicide have been reported.
MAFF’s similar survey implemented in fiscal 2013 confirmed reports on 633 cases of the outbreaks, although it is not possible to simply compare the results of these two surveys in fiscal 2013 and 2016 which differ in a way of tallying reports on the outbreaks.
In fiscal 2016, reports on outbreaks of insecticide resistance increased to 797, 2.5 times more than those in fiscal 2013, followed by 423 reports on outbreaks of bactericide resistance and 65 on outbreaks of herbicide resistance, which are boosted respectively by 1.4 times and 2.7 times over the fiscal year of 2013.
Some of researchers have pointed out that the outbreaks of pesticide resistance are caused by misuses of agricultural chemicals.
MAFF plans to warn farmers against incorrectly using farm chemicals as well as consider adopting measures necessary for reducing the outbreaks by sharing information among stakeholders.