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Conditions of use for plant protection products in Germany

Authorisation, conditions of use, buffer distances to water and bee protection: what to check before every spray application in Germany and how to show it.

PhytAI editorial teamPublished 7 min read

Key points

  • Authorisation: crop, pest and timing must match the approved use; application rate, maximum number of applications and pre-harvest interval must be respected.
  • Current version: the current authorisation is decisive and may differ from the instructions on the pack.
  • Conditions of use: risk mitigation for operators, residents and the environment, such as distances to water and field margins.
  • Water: under the Plant Protection Application Ordinance a distance of 10 metres from the top of the bank generally applies, 5 metres with permanently closed vegetation; federal states may deviate.
  • Bees: B1 to B4 govern whether and when flowering crops may be sprayed; NN410 marks a hazard to pollinators.
  • Protected areas: herbicides and insecticides hazardous to bees or pollinators are generally prohibited in areas of importance for nature conservation.

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A plant protection product is not simply "authorised". The authorisation applies to certain crops, pests and growth stages, with set application rates, numbers of applications and pre-harvest intervals. On top of that come conditions of use protecting water, field margins, bees and people, and prohibitions from the German Plant Protection Application Ordinance (PflSchAnwV). Conditionality inspections check whether all of this was respected. This article sorts out the most important points and shows how to check before an application and document it afterwards.

The authorisation: approved use and instructions

According to the 2026 conditionality brochure of the Chamber of Agriculture of North Rhine-Westphalia, the approved uses laid down in the authorisation must be respected: pest, plant or plant product and application date or growth stage. The instructions for correct use also apply, such as application rates, the maximum number of applications per year and pre-harvest intervals.

The version matters: always follow the current authorisation. It may differ from the instructions on an older pack. Using an authorised product for a use that has not been approved is prohibited. For uses without a regular authorisation, the only route is an emergency authorisation, described in Emergency authorisations for plant protection products.

Pre-harvest interval

The pre-harvest interval is the minimum number of days between the last application and harvest. It is set per crop. According to the overview of conditions of use by the Chamber of Agriculture of North Rhine-Westphalia, the entry "F" means that the interval is determined by the application timing, i.e. by the approved growth stage, rather than a fixed number of days. Plan harvest when you apply.

Conditions of use

Conditions of use (Anwendungsbestimmungen) are risk mitigation measures. They protect operators, for example through personal protective equipment, residents and bystanders, and the environment, for example through distances to water and field margins. The Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL) sets them as part of the authorisation. According to the BVL, the authorities of the federal states are responsible for monitoring and sanctioning breaches.

In the authorisation and the register of plant protection products, conditions appear as codes. Some groups:

  • NW: protection of surface water, such as minimum distances and drift-reducing equipment requirements
  • NT: protection of terrestrial non-target organisms and field margins, such as buffer strips or drift-reducing equipment
  • NG: protection of groundwater, such as restrictions on certain soils or in water protection areas
  • NN: protection of beneficial organisms, such as NN410 for pollinators

The exact wording of each code is in the BVL code list. Read it before the application, because codes are combined differently for each product and use.

Distances to water under the Application Ordinance

Independently of the product-specific NW conditions, the Plant Protection Application Ordinance has set general distances since the German insect protection package. According to the brochure of the Chamber of Agriculture of North Rhine-Westphalia, a distance of 10 metres from the top of the bank applies at water bodies, except small waters of minor importance for water management. With closed vegetation cover all year round, it is 5 metres. Tillage in this strip is allowed once within five years. Federal states may set different rules. If the authorisation requires a greater distance, that distance applies.

In addition, plant protection products must not be applied in or directly next to surface waters, and on open land only if it is used for agriculture, forestry or horticulture or an exemption has been granted.

Protected areas and glyphosate

In nature reserves, national parks, national natural monuments, natural monuments and legally protected biotopes, as well as on grassland and in forests in FFH areas, herbicides are prohibited. Insecticides hazardous to bees with conditions B1 to B3 and insecticides hazardous to pollinators with NN410 are also prohibited there. Federal states may allow exceptions, but not for glyphosate.

Products containing glyphosate are generally prohibited in water protection areas, mineral spring protection areas and for pre-harvest use. On other agricultural land they are only permitted if other measures under the principles of integrated pest management are not suitable or reasonable, with further restrictions for pre-sowing and stubble treatment and for grassland.

Bee protection

The BVL classifies every product into a bee hazard category:

  • B1: hazardous to bees; no application to flowering plants or plants visited by bees, including weeds
  • B2: hazardous to bees, except when applied after the end of daily bee flight until 11 pm
  • B3: bees are not endangered because of the authorised use, for example seed treatment
  • B4: not hazardous to bees up to the highest authorised application rate or concentration

In addition, NN410 marks products classified as harmful to populations of pollinating insects; applications into flowers should be avoided or moved to the evening.

The brochure of the Chamber of Agriculture of North Rhine-Westphalia names three further points from the Bee Protection Ordinance: certain tank mixes of products not hazardous to bees may be classified as hazardous to bees. A product not hazardous to bees used above the highest application rate counts as hazardous to bees. And anyone wanting to apply a product hazardous to bees within 60 metres of an apiary during daily bee flight needs the beekeeper's consent.

Application by contractors

The rules also apply when a contractor sprays. The farm must be able to show the contracted work during later inspections, for example with an invoice, and the record must be complete.

Common mistakes

  • leaflet of an old batch read, changed authorisation overlooked
  • water body missed on the map, distance at the field edge not respected
  • B2 product sprayed into flowering oilseed rape in the afternoon
  • tank mix prepared without checking the bee hazard
  • pre-harvest interval "F" understood as "no interval"
  • herbicide used on grassland in an FFH area

How to proceed on the farm

  1. Check the authorisation: compare crop, pest, stage, application rate and number of applications in the current register.
  2. Read the codes: note NW, NT, NG and bee protection for the specific use.
  3. Check the field: clarify water bodies, field margins, water protection and nature conservation areas at the field.
  4. Choose timing: consider bee flight, flowering and the pre-harvest interval to the planned harvest.
  5. Record: record the application completely, with the time of day for products with time restrictions.

Conditions in PhytAI

PhytAI takes over the conditions of use from the BVL register and checks before the application what it knows about the field, date and tank mix: the distance to the nearest mapped water body, location in water protection and nature conservation areas, date and time, BBCH stage and the modes of action of mix partners. Everything else is shown as a point to confirm, with the original register text. PhytAI is not an approval; the authorisation and instructions for use remain decisive.

Frequently asked questions

What applies if the authorisation and the pack contradict each other? The current version of the authorisation is decisive.

Does the 10-metre distance also apply to ditches? Small waters of minor importance for water management are exempt. The federal states determine which waters these are.

May I spray a B4 product into flowers? B4 products are not hazardous to bees up to the highest authorised application rate. If the product also carries NN410, applications into flowers should be avoided or moved to the evening.

Sources

This article reflects the situation on the date shown, based on the sources named, and is not legal advice. Laws, approvals, official decisions and the guidance of the competent authorities prevail.

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