Chemical pesticide use in the crucifer system When examining pesticide use in crucifers, it is necessary to divide the crops by marketing intention since use patterns differ significantly between fresh market and processing crops. A. Estimated measurements Estimated pesticide loads for crucifer crops are listed in table 27.2 . The situation for the two different markets are summarized below. For processing cabbage, insecticides are the most heavily used pesticide products. They account for nearly 70 percent of the pesticide load.
Onion thrips is also a serious threat.
If growers of processing cabbage are not using resistant varieties, they devote substantial insecticide to the control of this pest. Every field receives multiple applications of insecticides throughout the season for thrips control. Insecticides are also applied to some fields for the management of flea beetle and cabbage maggot control, depending upon insect pressure. Fungicides are next in terms of use. It should be noted, however, that usage data were collected when EBDC fungicides were legal on crucifers.