Our legally assigned tasks include participation in the national and zonal approval process for plant protection products, including EU active substance testing. We evaluate various test parameters for all plant protection products and plant protection product active ingredients that are registered in Germany for approval in arable crops. These include, among other things, the effectiveness, the dosages and modes of action, the possible effects on plants and plant products to be protected, the possible development of resistance in pathogens and pests as well as the benefit. The assessment is based on the studies and documents submitted by the applicant. The result of this scientific assessment is directly included in the approval process and represents a building block for the overall evaluation by the Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL).

In addition, we develop test and assessment methods for plant protection products and for the comparative assessment of plant protection processes and work towards harmonizing these methods across the EU.

Another goal of the JKI is to identify pesticide resistance in harmful organisms at an early stage. Because the more frequently the same active ingredient is used against certain harmful organisms, the greater the risk that they will develop resistance to this agent.

As a result, it is becoming increasingly difficult to combat the harmful organisms with the remaining active ingredients.

We are therefore developing strategies and monitoring systems to monitor known resistances and quickly identify new ones.

Due to the significantly increased social demands on the quality of crop protection products in terms of consumer protection, environmental protection and user protection, the number of available active ingredients has steadily decreased in recent years. Based on the data we have collected, increasing resistance in various harmful organisms can already be observed.