Germany is launching an initiative in the EU Agricultural Council to secure the use of sodium bicarbonate – the main component of baking powder – in viticulture. The substance has been successfully used against “powdery mildew” (Oidium) for years. It is considered cost-effective, readily available, and harmless to the environment.
However, under current EU law, sodium bicarbonate can no longer be used as a so-called “basic substance” because it is now also included in an approved plant protection product. According to the rules, double approval is excluded. Therefore, winemakers have to resort to the more expensive commercial product. This particularly burdens smaller organic businesses.
Federal Minister of Agriculture Alois Rainer calls for a correction of these regulations. “Our winemakers are under massive pressure. They can no longer even use the inexpensive and readily available baking powder to protect the vines from powdery mildew. The EU regulations put a stop to that – we need to change this. I thank the other member states for their support in ensuring a pragmatic use of simple basic substances in viticulture.”
The discussion originated from the approval of a plant protection product containing sodium bicarbonate in August 2024. Subsequently, the EU Commission lifted the parallel use as a basic substance in Austria and Germany in March 2025. This eliminated a tested, cost-effective solution that many businesses had used.
Germany is now advocating in Brussels that basic substances should continue to be used, even if they later find use in plant protection products. Support for this initiative comes from eight other member states: France, Luxembourg, Austria, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, the Czech Republic, and Hungary.
On September 22 and 23, the agricultural ministers of the EU discussed the issue. For many wine-growing businesses, the decision on this matter could determine how practical and affordable plant protection remains in the coming years.
(ru)
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