WATSONVILLE — Santa Cruz County growers cut use of ozone-depleting methyl bromide by more than half and pesticides overall by 35 percent between 2009 and 2010.
The decline came as the state saw a 9.5 percent uptick in pesticide use after a four-year decline, according to figures released Wednesday by the California Department of Pesticide Regulation.
In neighboring Monterey County, pesticide use climbed 12 percent.
John Eiskamp, a raspberry grower and past president of the Santa Cruz County Farm Bureau, said while the size of the drop in methyl bromide was surprising, the decline was not.
"A lot of growers, including myself, are using a lot of alternatives," Eiskamp said.
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