User manual for SAFE (Select Application date For Evaluation) to support the use of the GEM scenarios for cultivations in glasshouses

For the assessment of the environmental risks of the use of plant protection products in glasshouse cultivations, exposure scenarios have been developed. These scenarios have been implemented in the Glasshouse Emission Model (GEM). Because the application can cover the entire plant growth cycle, additional guidance was needed to select the application date with the highest Predicted Environmental Concentration for the assessment of leaching to ground water in soil-bound cultivations and that of exposure of aquatic organisms in soilless cultivations. The software tool SAFE (Select Application date For Evaluation) has been developed to assist the user with the selection of the application date. Two variants of this tool have been developed: one for soil-bound cultivations and one for soilless cultivations. The use of both variants is described in this user manual.