Importance of Fungicides for

Feeding the World

Leonard P. Gianessi

CropLife Foundation

Fungicide Use Patterns

Current Future

World Fungicide Sales : Crops

2000: $ 6 billion 2012: $12 billion

Phillips McDougall

World Fungicide Sales : Crops(billion $/year)

$4.1 : Fruit and Vegetables $2.2 : Cereals $1.2 : Soybeans $ .8 : Rice

Phillips McDougall

Cereals: Europe

“Yields of cereal crops in Europe are among the highest in the world and the levels and consistency of these yields is in no small part due to the use of fungicides.”

Redbond,2006

China Wheat (#1 in World)

Wheat losses due to rust (million tonnes)

1950 – 6.0 1964 – 3.2 1990 – 1.8 2002 – 1.3

Now: Treat 6 million hectares with fungicides

Wheat rust

Zhenshng, et al. 2010.

Kenya: Wheat Rust

“All the current commercial wheat cultivars are highly susceptible to the new race, and it is not possible to grow a profitable crop of wheat without the application of a fungicide.” Wanyera, et al, 2009

Rice: Sheath Blight

“Despite its economic importance, there are no completely resistant rice cultivars against this fungal rice disease and control methods for sheath blight are limited to heavy usage of fungicides.”Shrestha,et al, 2013

Brazil: Soybean Production

0

15

30

45

60

75

1952 1962 1972 1982 1992 2002

MillionTons

FAO

Soybean Rust Pustules

Brazil: First appeared 2001

By 2003: Spread to entire country

Yield losses up to 75%

Yorinori, 2005.

Brazil: Spraying Soybeans

Fungicides prevent yield losses of 44%

Scherm, et al. 2009.

Brazil: Soybean Fungicide Market

25

200

600 600

800

0

200

400

600

800

1000

2001 2003 2005 2007 2009

MillionUS$

Phillips McDougall

World Fungicide Sales : Crops(billion $/year)

$ .7 : Potato $ .5 : Pome Fruit $1.0 :Vine

Phillips McDougall

Potato Late Blight:Ireland

“From the end of May until harvest, farmers spray fungicides every 7 to 14 days. Without the sprays, the potato fields of Ireland would echo the destruction that began in 1845.” Washington Post,

March 17,2013

India: Apples

4 billion pounds/year 9-10 sprays for scab

Thakur, 2008

France: Apples

4 billion pounds/year 15-20 sprays for scab

Brun, 2008

Africa:Maize as traditional food

• Main food for 50% of the population.

• 65% of farms have shortages before next harvest.

Maize Yields (Tons/hectare)

Africa

1.6

Global

4.5

FAO

Gray Leaf Spot on Maize Leaf

Maize: Africa, Fungicides

Sprayed Unsprayed

Fungicides increase maize yields 27 to 54%

Verma, 2001.

Africa: Potato Consumption

Potato Production: Sub-Saharan Africa

FAO

1990=1.00

Kenyan Highlands

Potatoes: Africa, Fungicides

Sprayed

Unsprayed

Namanda,et al, 2004.

Fungicide spray increases yield by 224%

Russia: Potatoes, Family Plots

90% of production No use of fungicides 46% Loss in Yield

Filippov, 2007

Climate Change: Finland

“With a longer growing season plant pathogens will thrive. An increase of 1 degree C in southern Finland extends the period when late blight control is necessary by 10-20 days, which means 1-2 more fungicide applications.”

Hakula, et al, 2011

Japanese Rice

Famines due to rice blast

1695, 1783, 1833‒1837

Last major rice blast outbreak : 1953

Fungicides have prevented outbreaks since then

Rice blast

Oku, 1994.

Monument to fungicides for rice blast control in Nankoku, Japan

Conclusions

Fungicides are Essential for Feeding the World

A significant increase in fungicide use would greatly improve international food security

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