GB Potatoes has confirmed it will not proceed with an Emergency Authorization (EA) application for the fungicide mancozeb on potato crops, following discussions with UK regulators and industry stakeholders.

The decision comes after mancozeb was set to be withdrawn from use in the UK at the end of the 2025 season. In response, GB Potatoes assessed whether an EA application could support continued use in 2026, primarily as a resistance management tool amid rising blight pressure.

Scott Walker, CEO of GB Potatoes, said: “Following the announcement that mancozeb would be withdrawn from use in the UK at the end of the 2025 season, GB Potatoes explored the feasibility of progressing an Emergency Authorization (EA) application to allow a continued use on potato crops. An EA permitting the use of mancozeb for the 2026 season, would have delivered a significant resistance management benefit at a time of increasing pressure from blight resistance.”

To support the process, GB Potatoes worked with Horticulture Crop Protection Ltd and convened a small technical group to develop the application and engage with the regulator, the Health and Safety Executive. Pre-application discussions also took place with the authorization holder, UPL.

“With support from Horticulture Crop Protection Ltd (HCP), a small group of technical experts was convened to develop an application and to engage constructively with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) on what would be required for approval,” Walker said. “Positive engagement with the authorization holder, UPL, enabled productive pre-application discussions to take place.”

However, those discussions indicated that any emergency approval would be subject to strict limitations. According to Walker, regulatory risk assessment requirements would restrict use to a single application of mancozeb per crop.

“Through these discussions it became clear that, in order to meet HSE risk assessment requirements, any authorization would be limited to a single application of mancozeb per crop,” he said. “Such a restriction would not be commercially viable given the additional stewardship requirements that would need to be put in place, and the agronomists involved advised that a single application would deliver only very limited resistance management benefit.”

As a result, GB Potatoes confirmed it would not pursue the application further.

“As a result, and with great disappointment, the decision was taken not to proceed with an Emergency Authorization application for mancozeb,” Walker said. He added that “all possible avenues were explored,” and thanked the HSE, HCP and contributing experts for their involvement in the process.