The Environmental Protection Agency (Miljøstyrelsen) has declined to grant Danish potato growers permission to use the pesticide Reglone on their fields due to health risks. However, the agency has granted an exemption to use the substance for desiccation of chives for seed production from June 21 to September 1. This is confirmed in a written response from the Environmental Protection Agency to Ritzau, after the online media outlet Gylle.dk described the case. The Environmental Protection Agency emphasizes that the dosage of the prohibited substance for chives is lower than the one proposed for potato fields. The rejection for potato growers is due to the inability to guarantee the safety of people living close to or near the sprayed fields. On the other hand, the use for chives is considered safe in terms of environment, groundwater, and human health.
In addition, the agency highlights that there are no reasonable alternatives for desiccation of chives, and experiments are being conducted to find such alternatives in the period 2023-24. Desiccation is a practice used in seed production, among other things, to stop plant growth and make seeds ready for harvesting. Reglone, which contains the active ingredient diquat, has been banned by the EU since 2020. Diquat has been linked to brain damage and is suspected of being able to trigger Parkinson’s disease. Previously, the Environmental Protection Agency granted annual exemptions to Danish potato growers, but a recent decision has changed this.
According to Information, the Environmental Protection Agency has decided to reject the potato growers’ application for an exemption for 2024, as new calculations show that the substance can no longer be considered safe for neighbors of sprayed fields. Environmental Minister Magnus Heunicke states that Reglone should not be used in Denmark, and that alternatives to the substance should be developed instead of granting exemptions. The minister emphasizes that without the necessary safety, exemptions should of course not be issued. Ritzau is working to obtain further comments from Magnus Heunicke.