The EPPO standards for the efficacy evaluation of plant protection products describe the conduct of trials carried out to assess the efficacy of plant protection products against specific pests. They are addressed to all institutions, official registration authorities, public institutes or private firms carrying out such trials. In Europe, they are now considered as a reference in Directive 93/71/EEC of the European Union amending annex II and III of Directive 91/414.

Today, more than 270 Standards have been approved by EPPO, and individual standards in the series cover:

  • General aspects of efficacy evaluation. General standards give advice on design, conduct, reporting and analysis of trials, phytotoxicity, effects on succeeding crops, analysis of resistance risk, minor uses.
  • A wide range of crops and pests. Each standard covers one type of plant protection product (fungicide, insecticide, plant growth regulator, rodenticides, herbicide, etc.). Fungicides, insecticides and rodenticides are generally tested against a single pest on a single crop, but occasionally against a group of pests or on several similar crops. Herbicide standards generally concern control of all weeds in a given crop, while plant growth regulator standards concern one or several uses of these products on a crop or group of crops. Standards on side-effects concern evaluation of the effects of products on beneficial species.
  • Each standard gives details for individual field trials. Indications are given on experimental conditions (trial conditions, design and lay-out of the trial…), applications of treatments (type, time and frequency of application…), mode of assessment, recording and measurement (type, time and frequency of assessment, effects on the crop…), reporting of results.

The Database has been updated in December 2011 with standards revised and approved by EPPO Council in September 2011.

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