On January 31st, the reporter learned from Yichang Agriculture Bureau that great efforts were made to control the use of pesticides at source in order to increase efficiency. The achievement is remarkable with the full year’s total utilization of pesticides being reduced by 113 tons to 3232 tons, a 3.37% decrease.

　　Our government worked hard to coordinate “pesticides, machines and people” to promote environment-friendly, high efficiency, low poison and low remnant chemical pesticides and biological pesticides. Lists of pesticides for main crops in our city were recommended and checklist management was conducted. Targeting at the regularity of different diseases and insects of fruits, vegetables, tea and rice, respective disease prevention and control schemes were made and integrated application of ecological control, physical control, biological control and scientific use of pesticides was take advantage of. Yichang Plant Protection Station championed five municipal tea demonstration areas of green prevention and unified control and treatment with a total area of 824 acres. The use of chemical pesticides in the demonstration areas was reduced significantly, and the number of predators increased. No excessive pesticide residue was found inany sample tea leaves randomly selected for inspection. Seven tetradacus citri green control and prevention demonstration areas of oranges with a total area of 1482 acres were established. By giving full play to the leading and radiating effects of demonstration areas, the average weighted tetradacus citri rate is 0.38% in the whole city, far lower than the controlobjective of 1%, reducing orange losses by 204,000 tons and economic losses by 570 million yuan.

　　Last year, in order to promote the unified control and treatment, Yichang Plant Protection Station worked hard to support professional prevention and treatment organizations, arranging a special fund of 0.6 million yuan for 25 new business entities chosen by competitive application in their purchase of advanced equipment such as self-propelled sprayers and plant protection drones. Up to now, there are 577 social organizations for plant protection in the whole city with a total number of 5,724 employees. And 19832 efficient plant protection machines with a daily operating capacity of 23425 acres are in place. Among these machines, 31 are large equipment and 40 are agricultural plant protection drones.