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Red alert: Saxony-Anhalt's farmers are fighting against rapeseed pests!
Farmers in Saxony-Anhalt warn of crop failures due to pests in 2025. Rapeseed cultivation is threatened – environmental protection demands solutions.
Red alert: Saxony-Anhalt's farmers are fighting against rapeseed pests!
Farmers in Saxony-Anhalt are currently facing a major challenge: the rapeseed harvest is at risk and the first visible damage is worrying farmers. In particular, the increased population of rapeseed flea beetle is causing unrest in the fields, reports MDR. These small pests attack the cotyledons and young plants and not only reduce yields, but also the farmers' morale. In addition, further pests such as the reed leafhopper are expected from next spring, which is seen as a potential major problem for agriculture.
The situation has caused the state farmers' association to raise alarming voices. This calls for approval to use a wider range of insecticides to control the pests. However, there is a clear warning from environmentalists who warn of the possible negative consequences for insect diversity. Because the widespread use of insecticides could, like Day24 reported to lead to a further decrease in flying insects in intensive agriculture.
The impact of insect death
Farmers' concerns are justified because the decline in the insect population is alarming. A study from 2017 showed that the total mass of flying insects in Germany fell by more than 75 percent from 1989 to 2016. Around 30 percent of insect species are either threatened or already extinct. The situation is particularly dramatic for butterflies and wild bees NABU has shown.
There is no end in sight: experts fear that the loss of habitat due to high-intensity agriculture and the use of pesticides will only worsen the problems. However, the diversity of insects is important not only for nature, but also for agriculture itself, as many wild and cultivated plants rely on insect pollination. The economic value of this service in Germany is around 3.8 billion euros.
Will farmers be able to find a middle ground that both secures their yields and protects insect diversity? That remains to be seen. What is certain, however, is that a careful approach to nature and agriculture is urgently needed in order to do justice to both concerns.