Application Of Agricultural Chemicals Research Articles

Physicochemical assessment of industrial effluents of Kala Sanghian drain, Punjab, India.

Thedischarge of industrial effluents has a significant impact on the Water Quality Index (WQI) of the water bodies and is a major source of contamination of groundwater. Thepresent study investigated the physicochemical characteristics and scrutinized the pollution potential of the tannery, textile, and electroplating effluents uploading into the Kala Sanghian drain, located in Jalandhar, Punjab, India. In this study, 12 samples were collected from the four sites (leather complex drain (LD), leather complex outlet (LO), focal point drain (FD), and Bulandpur drain (BD)) of Kala Sanghian drain in the dry season. The result showed that the drain under consideration is very much contaminated and the wateris not suitable for irrigationand agricultural purposes. Rather it has a bad impact on the health of local people, the physiology of aquatic organisms, and the soil quality of agricultural land nearby.The present study confirmed the water quality index was more than 100, indicating a highly contaminated drain and water is unfit for any use. The correlation analysis shows that there exists a positive correlation between TDS and temperature (r = 0.994), DO and pH (r = 0.808), BOD and temperature (r = 0.987), BOD and TDS (r = 0.978), EC and temperature (r = 0.963), EC and TDS (r = 0.954), and EC and BOD (r = 0.956). The principal component analysis (PCA) confirms that PC1 alone has more than 89% of the variance with high positive loading for TDS, temperature, EC, and BOD. The hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) reflected two clusters where cluster 1 consists of pH, DO, temperature, and BOD of water while cluster 2 consists of TDS and EC of water. The PCA and HCA study of the data set confirms the high degree contribution of anthropogenic activities through the application of chemicals in agriculture, disposal of municipal waste, and industrial effluents in the deterioration of water quality. The results of the study will help to enhance the sustainable action plan for the management of industrial effluents in the studied area.

Assessing the biostimulant effect of micro-algae and thyme essential oil during in-vitro and ex-vitro rooting of strawberry

To improve the micropropagation protocol and the regeneration rate of the strawberry (Fragria × ananassa Dutch) Camarosa variety, the use of natural biostimulants was investigated since the application of synthetic chemicals in agriculture to ensure optimal growth is not always satisfactory. Indeed, strawberry in vitro rooting depends on the use of plant growth regulators, which may cause the development of aberrant and undesirable physiological and epigenetic disorders. For this purpose, the effects of thyme essential oil (TEO) and a mix of microalgae consortia (MA) were studied. These treatments were tested at two different concentrations during the in vitro rooting phase using nodal segments of the plant inoculated on MS medium. In vitro, root development exhibited a significant difference between treated and control plants. Later, the impact of both treatments on the growth of ex-vitro strawberry seedlings was studied during the acclimatization phase; hence, physiological, and biochemical analysis confirmed these findings. In fact, a positive effect of both treatments on the shoot and root parts of plants was observed. This was proven through an increase, compared to the control, in the root system by 74%, the number of leaves by 21,1%, and the shoot by 24,3% resulting in an acceleration of the initiation of rhizogenesis. On another hand, the physiological analysis revealed an improvement in the chlorophyll content in the treated leaves. Furthermore, with both treatments applied, there was a progressive and significant increase (p <0,05) in the activity of some enzymes such as peroxidase and in the phenol as well as hydrogen peroxide contents in the leaves revealing an induction of the antioxidant activity in the plant.

Knowledge of Vegetable Growers on the Effects of Agricultural Chemicals

The present study was conducted in Kolar district of Karnataka state during 2018-19 to understand the knowledge level of vegetable growers on the effects of agricultural chemicals. The data was collected from 120 vegetable growing farmers in Kolar and Malur talukas by applying simple random sampling technique and pretested interview schedule. Results revealed that more than forty per cent of the vegetable growers (42.50 %) possessed medium level of knowledge on the effects of agricultural chemicals, more than three fourth of the vegetable growers. (77.50 %) knew that taking bath using soap immediately after application of agricultural chemicals was a must, only 53.33 per cent. of the vegetable growers knew that red colour on the agricultural chemical container indicated extremely toxic level, sixty per cent of the vegetable growers knew that usage of same fertilizer for a long time reduces soil fertility, nearly seventy per cent of the vegetable growers (69.17 %) knew about importance of puncturing the pesticide bottle to prevent its reuse and burying it in the waste land as a safe method of disposal. The results of the study implies that still majority of the farmers were largely unaware of ill-effects of agro-chemicals on various entities like soil, underground water, water bodies, soil micro-organisms, natural predators as well as their personal health. This necessitates the extension agencies to sensitize farmers on optimum use of agro-chemicals for a sustainable farming and livelihood. Other variables like age, family size, annual income, size of land holding hardly associated with their knowledge on the effects of agricultural chemicals.

Nonlinear convection unsteady flow of electro-magnetohydrodynamic Sutterby hybrid nanofluid in the stagnation zone of a spinning sphere

The heat transfer characteristics of Sutterby hybridized nanofluid flow around a spinning sphere in electro-magnetohydrodynamic nonlinear convective unsteady stagnation point flow are investigated under the influence of convective heating circumstances and quadratic thermal radiation flux. Initially, the AA7072/methanol nanofluid is created by dispersing AA7072 nanoparticles into the methanol. The suitable AA7072+AA7075/ methanol hybrid nanofluid is then created by mixing AA7075 with AA7072/methanol. The governing equations are initially built as partial differential equations, which are subsequently converted to ordinary differential equations by using a similarity transmutation technique. In the study, the numerical technique of the bvp4c solver in Matlab is used. Physical factors’ effects on temperature, concentration, and primary and secondary velocity profiles have been studied. As a result of greater unsteadiness, the magnetic field, and Sutterby fluid parameters, the flow of AA7072/methanol nanofluid and (AA7072+AA7075)/ methanol hybrid nanofluid in the flow region moves quickly in the primary direction and slowly in the rotating direction. The result also demonstrates that a rise in the thermal radiation constraint, temperature ratio parameter, magnetic field constraint, electric field constraint, ϕAA7072, and ϕAA7075 causes a rise in the temperature distribution of the (AA7072+AA7075)/methanol hybrid nanofluid and the AA7072/methanol nanofluid. Furthermore, the strongest enhancement in heat transmission rate happens at a volumetric fraction of 4% of (AA7072+AA7075) nanoparticles and AA7072 nanoparticles (i.e., increased by 5.135827% and 4.370679% when compared with ordinary fluid, respectively). The findings of the study have implications for nano-coating spin processing in the chemical engineering industry, spray applications of agricultural chemicals, drag reducers in pipe flows, and the production of domestic cleaning products.

Evaluation of Map-Based Control System for Application of Fertilizer

Preserving environment in farming is now becoming main concern since use of inputs like fertilizers &amp; pesticides has been widely employed. Site–specific application of agricultural chemicals is an effective way of resource saving and environmental protection. Precise farming implementation is now gaining popularity and widely accepted as one of smart solutions to sustain agriculture production without ignoring environment. This paper isbased on results of map analysis, where map of soil can be developed based on (1) soil type (chemical composition of soil) (2) soil colour and texture (3) topography (high ground, low ground) (4) crop yield.As per results of chemical analysis, system is developed for controlling opening of outlet of valve for delivery of proper chemical composition (i.e., fertilizer) in same soil by controlling D.C.motor. Through this system, it is possible to improve agricultural production without ignoring environment, [1]

Development of a Spray System for A Drone System in Nigeria

The application of crop production and protection materials is a crucial component in the high productivity of American agriculture. Agricultural chemical application is frequently needed at specific times and locations for accurate site‐specific management of crop pests. Piloted agricultural aircraft are typically used to treat large, unobstructed, continuous acreage crops and are not as efficient when working over small or obstructed plots. An Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), which can be remotely controlled or fly autonomously based on preprogrammed flight plans, may be used to make timely and efficient applications over these small area plots. This research developed a low volume spray system on a fully autonomous UAV to apply crop protection products to specified crop areas. This article discusses the development of the spray system and its integration with the flight control system of a fully autonomous, unmanned vertical take‐off and landing helicopter. Sprayer actuation can be triggered by preset positional coordinates as monitored by the equipped Global Positioning System (GPS). The developed spray system has the potential to provide accurate, site‐specific crop management when coupled with UAV systems. It also has great potential for vector control in areas not easily accessible by personnel or equipment. Keywords. Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, Autonomous flight, Spray system, GPS. DOI: 10.7176/JNSR/13-10-05 Publication date: May 31 st 2022

The Preliminary Study for Effect of Plant Extract on Concentration of Heavy Metals in Soil

Heavy metal contamination in soils had arisen into a more prominent problem as a result of increasing anthropogenic activities like manufacturing, mining, excessive application of agricultural chemicals and inappropriate disposal of wastes. Researchers across the globe had been striving to discover and develop methods to restore the soil back to its original condition with an assortment of remediation techniques that varies from treatment mechanism for various soil and contamination condition. Majority of the existing techniques have drawbacks like high energy consumption, specificity on the site condition, limitations on applicable contaminants, side effects after treatment, and also being uneconomical. More and more researchers are beginning to divert their attention into using organic stabilizers for treatment of soil heavy metal contamination in recent years after learning about its potential after numerous research showed promising reduction on the bioavailability and mobility of heavy metals. Due the lack of study on liquid-form organic stabilizers, the authors dedicated this research into implementing plant extract (TM) in the immobilization of heavy metals in soil. For comparison purpose, sodium alginate (SA), a proven organic stabilizer had been incorporated into the experiment to evaluate the performance of plant extract to immobilize cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), and manganese (Mn) from the metal-spiked soil samples in this research. The study findings suggested that the SA increased the unstable fractions, namely the exchangeable and carbonate fractions, of Cd relative to the untreated soil sample by 10.3 % to 5.2. On the other hand, the TM yields a result of 0.1 % to 1.1 % reduction of the unstable Cd. For the unstable Cr, both SA and TM decreased the concentration levels in the soil by 2.5 % to 8.0 % and 6.1 % to 7.9 % respectively. The results for Mn showed that the SA is able to decrease the concentration of its unstable fractions by 2.0 % to 7.5 % while the TM increases the concentration by 11.7 % to 1.5 %. In general, lower concentration of heavy metals in the unstable fractions was detected as the dosage of soil stabilizers applied increases. The application of soil stabilizers at 10 % weight percentage yields the lowest reading of unstable heavy metals in comparison with samples with lower dosage.

The role of endophytic fungi in combating abiotic stress on tomato

Environmental stress to plants is more detrimental than biotic stress. Abiotic stresses, such as drought, salinity, extreme temperatures, heavy metal toxicity, and oxidative stress, are serious threats to agriculture and lead to deterioration of the environment. Abiotic stress leads to a series of morphological, physiological, biochemical, and molecular changes that have a harmful effect on plant growth and productivity. Recently endophytic fungi (EF) are gaining attention due to the numerous benefits gained by the host plant and reducing the application of chemicals in agriculture, thus providing advantages to human health and the environment. Indeed, microbe’s ability to confer plant stress resistance may open a new avenue for alleviating the adverse effect of global climate change on agricultural production. The ability of endophytes recovered from grasses were applied to confer drought, high temperature and high salinity to genetically distant plants such as tomato. The concept that fungal endophytes adapt to stress in a habitat-specific manner has been confirmed with different fungal and plant species and environmental stresses. In this review, we have tried to comprehend different roles of endophytes in combating abiotic stress on tomato.

The role of soils in regulation of freshwater and coastal water quality.

Water quality regulation is an important ecosystem service function of soil. In this study, the mechanism by which soil regulates water quality was reviewed, and the effects of soil management on water quality were explored. A scientometrics analysis was also conducted to explore the research fields and hotspots of water quality regulation of soil in the past 5 years. This review found that the pollutants entering the soil can be mitigated by precipitation, adsorption and desorption, ion exchange, redox and metabolic decomposition. As an optimal substrate, soil in constructed wetlands has perfect performance in the adsorption and passivation of pollutants such as nitrogen, phosphorus and heavy metals in water, and degradation of pesticides and emerging contaminants. Mangrove wetlands play an important role in coastal zone protection and coastal water quality restoration. However, the excessive application of agricultural chemicals causes soil overload, which leads to the occurrence of agricultural non-point source pollution. Under the dual pressures of climate change and food insecurity in the future, developing environmentally friendly and economically feasible sustainable soil management measures is crucial for maintaining the water purification function of soil by relying on the accurate quantification of soil function based on big data and modelling. This article is part of the theme issue 'The role of soils in delivering Nature's Contributions to People'.

Impact of K-Humate and Yeast Extract Combined with Np Fertilization on Soybean Seed Yield, Quality and Protection against some Pests

Two field experiments were conducted at a special farm, in El Mansoura, Dakahlia Governorate, Egypt, during the two growing summer seasons of 2018 and 2019 to find out the influence of soil drench by potassium Humate (KH) and yeast extract (YE) as foliar application alone or combined (KH+YE) under different rates of N and P fertilization on plant growth, yield, quality and protection against some pests of soybean plants (Glycine max L.), c.v. Giza 111. The treatments of NP fertilization rates were arranged in the main plots and the HK and YE were arranged in sub-plots in a split-plot design with three replicates. Results indicated that the application of soil drench KH and YE spraying and (KH+YE) had a positive effect on growth parameters, photosynthetic pigments, seed yield and yield components of the soybean plants. The duel application (KH+EY) showed a significant augmentation in all studied parameters compared to the control under 50, 75 .and 100% of the recommended mineral fertilization does (RFD. The whitefly Bemisia tabaci Genn. represented the most pest attacking soybeans with a ratio around 56 % followed by Aphis cracivora Kock (30%), While Tetranychus urticae Koch ranged (8-10%). respectively .But mealybug Phenococcus solani Ferrisia in % occurrences a ratio around (3-6%) during 2018 and 2019 seasons. In treatment were spray (combined of KH+YE ) decreased population of B. tabaci Genn. (9.75 nymphs /10 leaves). Therefore, this investigation revealed that the synergistic effect of HK (5 ml l-1) and YE (4 g l-1 ) in combination treatment with 75% NP is important for improving plant quality and this decreased insect infestation and the environmental pollution caused by repeated application of agricultural chemicals as mineral fertilizers and pesticides.

Endophytic Fungi of Tomato and Their Potential Applications for Crop Improvement

Endophytic fungi (EF) are increasingly gaining attention due to the numerous benefits many species can offer to the plant host, while reducing the application of chemicals in agriculture, thus providing advantages to human health and the environment. The growing demand for safer agrifood products and the challenge of increasing food production with a lower use of pesticides and fertilizers stimulates investigations on the use and understanding of EF. Other than direct consequences on the plant damaging agents, these microorganisms can also deliver bioactive metabolites with antimicrobial, insecticidal, or plant biostimulant activities. In tomato, EF are artificially introduced as biological control agents or naturally acquired from the surrounding environment. To date, the applications of EF to tomato has been generally limited to a restricted group of beneficial fungi. In this work, considerations are made to the effects and methods of introduction and detection of EF on tomato plants, consolidating in a review the main findings that regard pest and pathogen control, and improvement of plant performance. Moreover, a survey was undertaken of the naturally occurring constitutive endophytes present in this horticultural crop, with the aim to evaluate the potential role in the selection of new beneficial EF useful for tomato crop improvement.

Phyto-toxic Influence of an Atrazine-based Selective Herbicide – Arda-force® on Onions (Allium cepa L)

Introduction: The constant impact on the environment occasioned by pollution, indiscriminate application of agricultural chemicals, security challenges and crisis in the Niger Delta ecological area of Nigeria has caused severe damage to plants, soil organisms and humans.&#x0D; Aim and Methodology: In this research, onions (Allium cepa L) was exposed to varying concentrations of an atrazine-based selective herbicide Arda-force® to estimate the phyto-toxic effects on the plant species using the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, (OECD) protocol #208.&#x0D; Results: The mean effective concentration (EC50) using root growth inhibition produced indications of phyto-toxicity to the exposed species at a concentration of 0.55 ± 0.06 mg/L. Similarly, the maximum root growth inhibition efficiency relative to the control was 65% as recorded in the highest test concentration of 1.25 mg/L.&#x0D; Discussion: The study indicated that constant application / indiscriminate use of the herbicide Arda-force® could cause deleterious influence on these plant and vegetable species, daily consumed by humans as a rich source of anti-oxidants.&#x0D; Conclusion: This study concluded that atrazine-based herbicide Arda-force® used in this assessment resulted in phyto-toxic effects to Allium cepa L. At the exposed concentrations of the herbicide to non-target specie – Allium cepa L. that are integral parts of the ecosystems, the ‘‘harmless’’ status of atrazine acclaimed by the United State Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) is still very much in doubt.

Assessment of Good Agricultural Practices on Cocoa and Coffee Farms in Northern Haiti

Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere and presents a unique scenario for the food and agriculture industry, because there is no food safety legislation. The application of Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) leads to improvements of quality, safety and sustainability of agricultural products. The purpose of the study was to assess the status of Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) in cocoa and coffee farms in Northern Haiti. A general survey captured information about the farmer and the farm, and an audit checklist was used to assess compliance to GAPs. A total of 11 farms (n = 11) were audited, of which 7 were cocoa farms (64%) and 4 were coffee farms (34%) in the regions of Dondon, Limonade and Milot. Average overall audit scores for coffee farms (73%) were higher than for cocoa farms (55%). Farms affiliated with a cooperative scored higher (78%) than those that were not part of a cooperative (55%). The sections of the survey on “Practices related to premises and production site”, and the “use of agricultural inputs and chemicals” received the lowest scores but were confined to the cocoa farms. “Record keeping” plus “distribution, transportation, and traceability” were cause for concern with both the cocoa and coffee farms. Critical non-conformances included the access of livestock animals and domestic pets to processing and storage areas, the lack of control in the application of agricultural chemicals, a lack of safeguards on equipment and elevated surfaces, and washing of fresh cocoa beans to remove the mucilage with water that had not been treated or tested for potability. The root cause of the non-conformances, regardless of the commodity, was either related to poor physical and organizational infrastructures, or to a lack of technical training.

Chemical Lands: Pesticides, Aerial Spraying, and Health in North America's Grasslands since 1945 by David D. Vail

Reviewed by: Chemical Lands: Pesticides, Aerial Spraying, and Health in North America's Grasslands since 1945 by David D. Vail Christopher R. Laingen Chemical Lands: Pesticides, Aerial Spraying, and Health in North America's Grasslands since 1945. By David D. Vail. Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press, 2018. ix + 180 pp. Illustrations, map, notes, bibliography, index. $39.95 cloth. I applaud David Vail and the University of Alabama Press for having written and published a book that dared to do anything other than demonize farming—in general—and the use of agricultural chemicals—specifically—and pretend that our country's agricultural production systems could have been created and continue to function without them. Vail's book is truly a breath of fresh air insofar as that many social scientists, social science programs, and academic presses preach increasingly partisan worldviews about large-scale conventional agricultural practices. Farmers are, by and large, keen stewards of the land. Their livelihoods largely depend upon the health of the ecosystems within which they operate. In his book, Vail expertly explains how practices employed by "Ag pilots" evolved over many decades as they carefully considered their target landscape(s), non-target crops, and the people, animals, and surrounding environments affected by their work; they worked diligently, more often than not, alongside their clients and other stakeholders to minimize risks to these local and regional ecosystems. While many farmers were initially reluctant to adopt aerial application methods, over time, collaboration and "precision became the answer" (7). In 1950 the convergence of federal officials, agriculturalists, aeronautical engineers, and pilots to design and build the Ag-1 "flying tractor" marked the arrival of the "first plane ever designated and built exclusively for super safe and efficient crop control flying" (88). "By considering the target landscape, non-target crops, people, and animals, and the larger environment together, Ag pilots minimized risks to local ecosystems while also keeping crops safe" (128). By the 1960s a patchwork of state regulations, a growing emphasis on federal oversight of chemicals, and the release of Rachel Carson's Silent Spring placed Ag pilots, landowners, and weed scientists—overwhelmingly, people who were doing their dead-level best to reduce harm to the environment—on the side of what was viewed by the general public as an environmentally destructive industry. Are there shortcomings to these practices? Absolutely. Are there alternatives? For sure, and in certain locales—largely outside the Great Plains and Midwest— nonindustrialized and nonconventional agricultural production and pest-control practices might even prove to be more logical and optimal solutions. Vail's book, however, curbs any notion that America's food production system could have been created or sustained without the help of industrialization and nonorganic—sometimes dangerous—chemicals. Efforts that began in the mid-twentieth century aimed at improving precision in agricultural chemical application were the building blocks upon which farmers' labors continue today (e.g., Global Positioning System [GPS] technology and precision agriculture). Such efforts, many of which originated on the American Great Plains, have helped consumers get what they want out of agricultural production: to keep the cost of agricultural products as low as possible, so that we do not spend a penny more of our disposable income than necessary on the food, fuel, and fiber that our country's farmers produce. The proliferation of aerial spraying was driven not by American farmers or by "Big Ag," but by the growing demands of American consumers. All of us. Dr. Vail and the University of Alabama Press: this was a job well done! [End Page 87] Christopher R. Laingen Department of Geology and Geography Eastern Illinois University Copyright © 2020 Center for Great Plains Studies, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

The human health benefits from GM crops.

The human health benefits from GM crops.

Quantification of toxic metals during different winemaking stages

Heavy metals in beverages can constitute serious problems to human health. Consumption of wine may contribute to the daily dietary intake of pollutants, especially of toxic (heavy) metals. These compounds are also known as priority pollutants due to their potential toxic effects, if concentrations are not kept under allowable limits. Many characteristics such as: quality, origin, aroma and health safety of wine are influenced by environmental and anthropogenic factors. Hence, the contamination of wine by priority pollutants may occur at different stages of vine-growing, due to the application of agricultural chemicals, or at different stage of winemaking and ageing, because of the extended contact of wine with winemaking equipment materials (aluminium, brass, glass, stainless steel and wood, etc.), or chemicals used for cleaning and sanitation. The aim of this study is to identify and quantify the heavy metal ions from red wines. A particular focus was attributed to Zn and Cd from destemming-pressing-filtration-bottling stages in Fetească neagră grape variety from Cotnari vine growing region of Romania. Results indicated that heavy metals were linked to diverse Zn and Cd sources and complexes during the winemaking processes. Concentration of Zn and Cd were generally higher in must than in wine, although heavy metals concentrations were lower than the limits recommended by the International Organization of Vine and Wine for human health safety.

Removal of natural organic matter from water using chemically activated coffee husk

The presence of natural organic matter (NOM) in source water has posed many challenges for conventional water treatment facilities. Small organic acids, such as humic acid, present in NOM, have a high potential to influence the performance of water treatment processes. Uncontrolled application of agricultural chemicals leads to the simultaneous presence of toxic substances. In this work, batch adsorption experiments were conducted to examine the biosorption of HA onto chemically activated coffee husk. The biosorption process was studied as a function of operating conditions, such as contact time, pH of the solution, HA concentration, adsorbent dose and agitation speed parameters. Experimental results showed that the adsorption has an equilibrium time of 60 min with a maximum adsorption of 93.7%. The optimum pH for maximum HA adsorption was found to be 5.5, with a maximum adsorption of 94.3%. . As the dose of adsorbent increased from 1 to 25 g/L, the concentration of HA was observed to reduce from 10 to 1.67 mg/L which is below the WHO (World Health Organization) guideline value of 2 mg/L. The amount of HA adsorbed increased with increasing the initial adsorbent concentration from 0.5 to 20 mg/L. The adsorption kinetics well fitted the pseudo-second order model with the correlation coefficient R2 = 0.997 and Ks = 0.078. The experimental sorption equilibrium can be represented by the Langmuir isotherm (R2 = 0.998, SSE = 0.006). An average desorption capacity of 87.3% was observed. The study shows that chemically activated coffee husk can be a potential candidate to be used as a biosorbent in the removal of NOM from aqueous solutions.

Estimated Residential Exposure to Agricultural Chemicals and Premature Mortality by Parkinson's Disease in Washington State.

The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between estimated residential exposure to agricultural chemical application and premature mortality from Parkinson’s disease (PD) in Washington State. Washington State mortality records for 2011–2015 were geocoded using residential addresses, and classified as having exposure to agricultural land-use within 1000 meters. Generalized linear models were used to explore the association between land-use associated with agricultural chemical application and premature mortality from PD. Individuals exposed to land-use associated with glyphosate had 33% higher odds of premature mortality than those that were not exposed (Odds Ratio (OR) = 1.33, 95% Confidence Intervals (CI) = 1.06–1.67). Exposure to cropland associated with all pesticide application (OR = 1.19, 95% CI = 0.98–1.44) or Paraquat application (OR = 1.22, 95% CI = 0.99–1.51) was not significantly associated with premature mortality from PD, but the effect size was in the hypothesized direction. No significant associations were observed between exposure to Atrazine (OR = 1.21, 95% CI = 0.84–1.74) or Diazinon (OR = 1.07, 95% CI = 0.85–1.34), and premature mortality from PD. The relationship between pesticide exposure and premature mortality aligns with previous biological, toxicological, and epidemiological findings. Glyphosate, the world’s most heavily applied herbicide, and an active ingredient in Roundup® and Paraquat, a toxic herbicide, has shown to be associated with the odds of premature mortality from PD.

Foam or spray application of agricultural chemicals to clean and disinfect layer cages

SUMMARY A rapid and effective means to clean and disinfect premises is needed by the poultry industry. We hypothesized that commercially available foaming disinfectants and cleaners applied via a compressed air foam system (CAFS) may be used to significantly reduce aerobic bacteria in a commercial caged layer complex. Six field trials were conducted to evaluate current industry cleaning and disinfection protocols and the proposed CAFS application. A commercially available chlorinated alkaline foaming cleaner (CHL/ALK) was applied in trials 1 and 2 by CAFS to one half of the house, and the other half of the house was not treated. The entire house was then washed with a high-pressure water rinse (HPWR). A commercially available peroxyacetic acid (PAA) in trials 3 and 4 or a 14% glutaraldehyde (HI GLUT)/2.5% quaternary ammonia (QAC) blended disinfectant in trials 5 and 6 was applied by CAFS to one half of a washed house. The remainder of the house was then treated with a 7% glutaraldehyde (LO GLUT)/26% QAC, which was spray-applied to cages by the integrator. Environmental swabs of drinker cups and cage floors were collected pre- and post-treatment to determine if aerobic bacteria were reduced. The HPWR and the CHL/ALK treatments did not consistently reduce bacteria on treated surfaces. Significant differences were observed with each of the CAFS applications of the PAA product, resulting in bacterial reductions of 1.83 to 2.27 log10 cfu/sample. Although inconsistent, differences (P

Impact of Agricultural Labor Transfer and Structural Adjustment on Chemical Application: Comparison of Past Developments in the Ecological Civilization Pilot Zones of China and Their Future Implications

Reducing the application of agricultural chemicals is a key point in promoting the construction of an ecological civilization and the green development of the agricultural sector. Based on statistical yearbook data from provinces which became the first national ecological civilization pilot zones in China, this paper quantitatively analyzes the impact of labor transfers and structural adjustment of agriculture on the application of agricultural chemicals by using comparative analysis and a panel data model. The results show that the amplitude of the agricultural labor force in Fujian, Guizhou, and Jiangxi decreases successively. The planting structure adjustment for grain crops is slowest in Jiangxi, while the sown area of cash crops, such as vegetables, increases at the fastest rate in Guizhou. The increase of horticultural plants, such as orchards is the most obvious in Jiangxi. The application of agricultural chemicals grows quickly. The influence of the agricultural labor force scale on the application of fertilizers and pesticides is statistically significantly negative. The ratio of the sown area of non-grain crops to the total sown area has a positive effect on the application of fertilizers and pesticides. In the context of the continuing agricultural labor transfer in China, combining the structural adjustment of agriculture and the supply of high-quality agricultural products, the government should actively guide and support new agricultural business entities in applying organic manure. Additionally, it should accelerate the development of smaller agricultural machinery that can be used for smaller land areas and by elderly people to reduce the application of chemical fertilizer and pesticide.