Baseline information on agricultural practices in the EU ... - Europabio

Zone Member State Use Seed use
(1,000 kernels/ha)
C
South
Plant density
(1,000/ha)
the Netherlands Not specified c 84-127 80-110
Poland - -
Romania Not specified g 15-25 kg/ha -
Slovakia - -
Slovenia - -
the United
Kingdom
-: no data available
Not specified h
Grain k
100-130
95
Bulgaria - -
Cyprus - -
-
80-90
France Not specified 110 Bretagne a SW f :
70-73 deep soil, 85 on
sandy soil,
80-85 on alluvial soil
Greece - -
Italia - -
Portugal Grain j
Silage j
Spain Grain j
5.2 Crop protection
5.2.1 Weed management
Silage j
70-80 70-80
80-100 75-95
70-80 70-80
80-100 75-95
Weeds are controlled with herbicides in all European regions on more than 90% of the maize
production area. The importance of the area treated with herbicides as well as the average number of
herbicide applications per field and are shown in Table 14. Weed control is usually done by 2
applications of herbicides, the first time after sowing before the maize seedlings emerge (preemergence)
and a second time at the 3-8 leaf stage (post-emergence).
A broad range of active ingredients has been used in Europe, including ureas, triazine, pyridine,
benzoylcyclohexanedione, amide, oxazole, aromatic acid and nitrile herbicides. Examples of
approved herbicide to use in maize in some countries of the EU are shown in Table 15 and Table 16.
Rotation of modes of actions is a key tool to manage weed resistance and is recommended in many
stewardship programmes to prevent the development of resistance to commonly used herbicides.
Alternatively, mechanical cultivation is practised pre-emergence combined with a chemical application
later in the season (Maïshandboek, Endure) (Finke et al., 1999). Also, mechanical methods are used
after emergence between the rows to lower the amount of active ingredient sprayed in the row.
Mechanical weed control in maize has been practiced in several European countries including Italy,
France, Spain and Hungary. For example in the Netherlands, 90% of the conventional farm area was
managed with mechanical weed control between 2000 and 2005 because of a political program
providing subsidies. Tools are also available to remove weeds within rows, but this practice is rarely
used any more. Weeds with rhizomes cannot be eliminated mechanically.
In general, tillage systems without soil inversion rely more on efficient herbicide use.
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