The Department of Agriculture has recently updated its pesticide advisers' register.

Farmers should check the register to ensure their adviser is registered on the pesticide advisers’ list.

Any person giving professional advice on pesticides needs to be appropriately trained.

After this, each year pesticide advisers have to carry out continuous professional development (CPD). This means advisers must attend events and webinars to keep up to date with the latest advice and rules.

They then have to supply records of this to the Department of Agriculture, which then publishes registered advisers on their website.

Proper advice

Getting proper advice on pesticide use is very important for safety, efficient use and following proper guidelines, from label rates and timings to buffer zones and tank mixing.

You can check the register on the Pesticide Control Service’s website or by clicking this link.

As regulations become tighter on pesticide use and products are lost from the market, it is important that all of the industry follows appropriate advice, rules and carries out proper record keeping.

Farmers, pesticide distributors, advisers and distribution centres need to be registered with the Department as professional users, advisers, distributors and pesticide distribution stores.

When being inspected by the Department of Agriculture and the Irish Grain Assurance Scheme, you will need to show where you received pesticide advice, as well as providing your sprayer testing certificate and professional user number, which farmers receive after carrying out pesticide training.