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Study on climate change presented at 31st International Cotton Conference in Bremen: use of crop protection products improves the carbon footprint


Bremen / Monheim, Germany
March 22, 2012

Cotton farmers who use crop protection products to safeguard their harvests are acting in a sustainable manner and contributing to climate protection. This is the verdict of a study called "Climate change and plant health" ("Klimawandel und Pflanzengesundheit") conducted by the Berlin-based agency agripol on behalf of Bayer CropScience. The findings were presented to the public at the 31st International Cotton Conference in Bremen, Germany. They supply facts about the impact of pesticide use on the carbon footprint (CO2 balance) using cotton-growing as an example.

"We determined the energy consumption and all other CO2 emissions involved in the production and use of crop protection agents," explained Dr. Rüdiger Schaub, Head of Sustainability at Bayer CropScience AG, at the presentation to the audience of international experts. On the other side of the equation were the increased biomass produced and the resulting additional carbon dioxide taken out of the earth's atmosphere.

During the course of the study, 14 crops were examined in 16 countries. The analyzed data for cotton in the three most important growing countries show that the plant absorbs many times more carbon dioxide than is released by the use and production of the crop protection agents. In the investigated cases, the additional CO2 uptake outweighed the emissions by a factor of 25 to 50.

Irrigated farming in India: 20 times better carbon footprint
A sample calculation for irrigated farming in India makes the situation clear. The repeated use of pesticides made necessary by insect infestation leads to an additional consumption of 49.4 kilograms of carbon dioxide per hectare. Compared to untreated fields, however, approximately 1,900 kilograms more of the greenhouse gas is converted per hectare. The footprint is even more positive if other influencing factors for the yield such as irrigation are taken into account in the calculation. "In the search for solutions to protect the climate and the importance of agriculture, well-founded information about the impact of agricultural inputs use is very important. This study should provide new arguments to consider in the public debate," said Schaub.

Cotton: king of natural fibers
Cotton is the world's most important natural fiber and is currently grown on more than 30 million hectares of agricultural land in more than 80 countries. Measures to combat plant diseases and pests are essential to safeguard yields. Bayer CropScience is a global leader with products for cotton-growers and offers a wide range of seeds and traits along with products to control pests, diseases and weeds. This extensive portfolio is rounded off by a full range of harvest-aid agents. Bayer's renowned Fiber Max™, Stoneville™ and Surpass™ seed brands have been designed specifically to meet the needs of farmers, the fiber-processing industry and the end consumer.

 



More news from: Bayer CropScience AG


Website: http://www.bayercropscience.com

Published: March 22, 2012

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