From time to time, FAO publishes booklets of specifications for technical materials and related formulations of plant protection products. Revisions of, and additions to, already published specifications will be issued when necessary.
The specifications contained herein have been carefully reviewed and agreed by the Group on Pesticide Specifications of the FAO Panel of Experts on Pesticide Specifications, Registration Requirements, Application Standards and Prior Informed Consent after consultations with official government scientists, the pesticides industry through GCPF (Global Crop Protection Federation) and, where appropriate, with individual manufacturers. 1
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Should national pesticide specifications developed from these approved FAO specifications deviate from them, the National Authority responsible for making such changes is requested to inform the FAO Plant Protection Service of the nature of, and the reasons for, the modifications.
FAO has published a Manual on the development and use of FAO Specifications for Plant Protection Products, FAO Plant Production and Protection Paper No. 128, Rome 1995 (available in English from the FAO Plant Protection Service).
This manual contains detailed definitions and other essential background information on basic procedures and technical principles adopted by the group on Pesticide Specifications of the FAO Panel of Experts on Pesticide Specifications, Registration Requirements, Application Standards and Prior Informed Consent, such as:
1. Categories of Specifications (Section 3.1 of the Manual)
FAO Tentative Specifications (Code 'S/T', formerly 'TS')
are those which have been recommended by FAO as preliminary specifications and which are based on minimum requirements. The methods of analysis cited are normally supplied by the manufacturer or may already have been published or be the subject of collaborative work.
FAO Provisional Specifications [Code 'S/P', formerly ('S')] are those for which more evidence of the necessary parameters is available and where some collaborative study of the methods of analysis has been carried out.
FAO (full) Specifications (Code 'S/F', formerly 'S').
Specifications that have all necessary requirements together with CIPAC (full) methods, or other collaboratively studied (proven) methods. 2, 3
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Methods of analysis and miscellaneous techniques referred to in these specifications have been developed and adopted by CIPAC (Collaborative International Pesticides Analytical Council Ltd.). See CIPAC Handbooks 1 (1970), 1A (1980), 1B (1983), 1C (1985), D (1988), E (1993), F (1995), G (1995), CIPAC Proceedings 1980 and 1981, obtainable from Black Bear Press Limited, King's Hedges Road, Cambridge CB4 2PQ, England. The page numbers of specific methods are given in parentheses in the specifications. Copies of methods not yet published can be obtained from the FAO Plant Protection Service.
3 Information on standard waters for laboratory evaluation of pesticidal formulations will be found in CIPAC Monograph 1, Standard Waters and an FAO Survey on Naturally Occurring Waters (1972), Black Bear Press Limited, King's Hedges Road, Cambridge CB4 2PQ, England.
Wherever possible, standards for apparatus and common names for pesticides are those approved by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
2. Expression of active ingredient content (Section 4.2.5 of the Manual)
- for solids, liquid technical materials, volatile liquids (of maximum boiling point 50°C) and viscous liquids (with minimum kinematic viscosity of 1 x 103 m2/s at 20°C) the FAO Specification shall be based on expression of the content as g/kg;- for all other liquids the active ingredient content of the product shall be declared in terms of g/kg or g/l at 20°C. If the customer requires both g/kg and g/l at 20°C, then in case of dispute the analytical results shall be calculated as g/kg.
3. Tolerance on content (Section 4.2.7 of the Manual)
A declared content of active ingredient must be included in all specifications, and one of the problems immediately arising is the level of tolerance acceptable about the nominal figure. The tolerance is influenced by (a) the reproducibility of the method of analysis, (b) the sampling error and (c) the manufacturing variance.Allowable variations in analytical results (i.e. tolerances in content of active ingredient) with respect to specific pesticide consignments are intended to cover reasonable variations in the contents of active ingredients. For examples of such tolerances, see the table in Section 4.2.7 of the Manual.
4. Containers/packaging
FAO guidelines are in preparation.Containers shall comply with pertinent national and international transport and safety regulations.
Technical materials, dustable powders and granules
Containers shall be suitable, clean, dry and as specified, and shall not adversely affect, or be affected by, the contents, but shall adequately protect them against external conditions.
Wettable powders
The product shall be packed in suitable, clean, dry containers as specified in the order. The container shall provide all necessary protection against compaction, atmospheric moisture, loss by vaporization and/or contamination to ensure that the product suffers no deterioration under normal transit and storage conditions.
The product shall be protected by an adequate moisture barrier. This may be a suitable bag of polyethylene or alternative means of giving equal or better protection.
Solutions and emulsifiable concentrates
Containers shall be lined, where necessary, with a suitable material, or the interior surfaces shall be treated to prevent corrosion and/or deterioration of the contents.
Additional information should be given in all specifications where particular pesticides present problems in packaging.
5. Biological information
Phytotoxicity
No test can be specified to cover the possible phytotoxicity of a formulation to all crops. When a crop is not mentioned in the instructions for use, purchasers should check with the supplier that the material is suitable, always provided that such a use is not restricted or legally forbidden.
Wetting of crops
The dilute spray should satisfactorily wet the leaves of the specified crops when used in accordance with the instructions. Test method MT 53.2, CIPAC F, p. 162, may be useful.
