Any farmer or contractor who applies professional use plant protection products, regardless of quantity or method of application, is deemed to be a professional user. All such individuals must be registered with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) by 26 November 2015. From this date, only a registered professional user can apply pesticides authorised for professional use.

A farmer who buys spray but gets a contractor who is a registered professional user to apply it on his behalf does not need to register.

In order to streamline and simplify future interactions with DAFM, it is recommended that existing DAFM clients who are not currently registered to use the online facilities should do so at www.agfood.ie, where they can register as a professional user.

Other individuals who are not existing clients of the DAFM or who do not wish to use the online facilities should register using the online registration facility available for professional users on the PCS website www.pcs.agriculture.gov.ie/sud/sudreg.

Ensure that you retain proof of qualification, as it will be requested should you be the subject of a DAFM on-farm inspection at any time in the future.

Testing of Pesticide Application Equipment

All boom sprayers greater than 3m and all blast and orchard sprayers must be tested at least once by 26 November 2016. The interval between inspections must not exceed five years until 2020 and must not exceed three years thereafter. Knapsack sprayers are exempt from the requirement to test.

It is the responsibility of the farmer to ensure that all sprayers are tested. The test cert remains with the sprayer if sold.

All equipment must be tested by a DAFM-registered inspector of pesticide application equipment.

Integrated Pest Management (IPM)

“IPM is a sustainable approach to managing pests by combining biological, cultural, physical and chemical tools in a way that minimises economic, health, and environmental risks.” (North Dakota State University)

The general principles of IPM are a set of guiding standards which are designed to help end users of plant protection products (PPP) to reduce reliance on PPP use and the risks associated with such use. They are easy to understand and easy to implement.

All professional users of PPPs operate to the general principles of IPM since 1 January 2014.

Records proving implementation of IPM must be maintained by all farmers/growers. If using a PPP, the reason should be recorded. A template PPP use record sheet and a whole farm level worksheet to record how the general principles of IPM are being applied are available on the PCS website.