Fruit growers now have the benefit of regulations that allow reductions in the buffer zones required when using broadcast air assisted pesticides.

Under new regulations introduced on February 7, buffer zones employed by producers of both fruit and hops can take full account of characteristics of their land and their spraying regime. The scheme is known as Local Environmental Risk Assessments for Pesticides (LERAP), and, says the department of the environment, food and rural affairs (Defra), will save growers money.

Lord Whitty, food and farming minister, said: 'The government must protect watercourses from spray drift. Buffer zones so this. However, to ensure that this protection does not carry unnecessarily high costs for growers, the LERAP rules will allow growers new flexibility to reduce buffer zones where it is safe to do so. This will not allow them to damage watercourses; growers will have to record their spray decision and their LERAP and make it available for inspection.' The new rules have been developed after two rounds of consultation in 2000 and 2001 and was agreed by ministers in the UK health, environment and agriculture departments on the basis of the recommendation of the advisory committee on pesticides.

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