Harmonized dose expression for the zonal evaluation
of plant protection products in high growing crops

 

The EPPO Standard PP 1/239 Dose expression for plant protection products states that ‘per treated leaf wall area (LWA) unit’ is becoming a common dose expression method in three-dimensional crops. The GEP certified trial reports which conform to EPPO Standards already contain all relevant information allowing calculation from the applied dose to the LWA. However, the need for a harmonized approach to evaluate and interpret data and information given in trial reports has become increasingly important following the implementation of the EC Regulation 1107/2009, including zonal assessments of Plant Protection Products. In 2016, the EPPO Workshop on harmonized dose expression for the zonal evaluation of plant protection products in high growing crops (Vienna, 2016-10-18/20) provided an excellent opportunity to share experiences and discuss difficulties related to dose expression in the framework of zonal evaluation and mutual recognition.

 

 

 

 

 

Following the Workshop recommendations an ad hoc Expert Working Group elaborated a Glossary of terms and a Guide for measurement of crop parameters. In 2018 the EPPO Working Party on Plant Protection Products decided that a revision of EPPO Standard PP 1/239 Dose expression for plant protection products should be undertaken by the EPPO Panel on General Standards for Efficacy Evaluation. The revision was finalized and approved by the EPPO Council in 2020. The revised version of EPPO Standard PP 1/239 Dose expression for plant protection products includes the content of the Glossary and the Guide as appendices and is available below.

 

The Panel on General Standards on Efficacy Evaluation in its meeting in 2022 agreed that the Excel tool for conversion of different dose expressions, developed by Mr Grzegorz Doruchowski from the National Institute of Horticultural Research in Poland, may be useful for efficacy evaluators. The tool is available below. It is important that the user of the tool is familiar with the EPPO Standard PP 1/239 Dose expression for plant protection products. The tool is intended only to be used in relation to efficacy trials and not in relation to authorized doses of plant protection products. The expressions and abbreviations used in the tool are defined in EPPO Standard PP 1/239.