A method for the fast identification of trace levels of pesticide residues in agricultural crops was developed using low pressure gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (LP-GC/MS). The finalchromatographic determination took 12 minutes per sample while conventional GC/MS required at least 30 minutes. Also, improved peak shapes for dichlorvos, dimethoate, chlorothalonil, pirymethanil, pirimicarb, carbaryl, myclobutanil, flusilazole tebuconazole, fenarimol and iprodione were obtained which generally enabled lower limits of detection. The method was successfully applied to analysis of more than 40 pesticides in 120 samples of fruits, vegetables and cereals. With the aid of LP-GC/MS the number of samples analysed on the particular instrument could be at least doubled.