B 3.3. What is the impact of the use of agrochemicals (fungicides, herbicides, insecticides) by Brazils sugar-cane growing activity?
The Brazilian legislation, including standards and controls ranging from the production to the use and disposal of materials, covers all important areas. Sugar-cane poses no special problems, and is a user of major biological pest control programs. The consumption of pesticides in sugar-cane crops is lower than in citrus, corn, coffee and soybean crops; the use of insecticides is low, and that of fungicides is practically none. Among the main sugar-cane pests, the sugar-cane beetle (the most important pest) and the spittlebug are biologically controlled; the sugar-cane beetle is the subject of the countrys larges biological control program. Ants, beetles and termites are chemically controlled; a decreased use of agrochemicals has been attained by means of selective applications. Sugar-cane diseases are fought against through the selection of disease-resistant varieties, as part of major genetic improvement programs. This procedure has been good enough to resolve by varieties replacemen