Impact Of Plant Protection Products Research Articles

Effects of Growing Areas, Pruning Wound Protection Products, and Phenological Stage on the Stilbene Composition of Grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) Canes.

Applying plant protection products (PPP) on grapevine pruning wounds is a viticultural practice used to mitigate the spread of grapevine tuck disease, which is posing serious economic losses in the vine-wine industry. However, the impact of PPP on woody tissues remains unclear. Our study, conducted in two European vineyards, investigated the effects of Cuprocol, Tessior, Esquive, and Bentogran on stilbenes, in canes of Cabernet sauvignon and Syrah, at three phenological stages. Main stilbenes, quantified by HPLC-UV-DAD (1260 Agilent Infinity System) and identified by HPLC-ESI/MS (Thermo Scientific LCQ FLEET system), included E-resveratrol, E-ε-viniferin, E-piceatannol, and E-polydatin. Canes exhibited varying proportions of individual stilbenes, reflecting differences based on climatic conditions and phenological phases, rather than on the application of specific PPP. Vines grown in cool-climate conditions exhibited higher levels of E-resveratrol, whereas vines from the Mediterranean climate area exhibited higher levels of E-ε-viniferin. We also observed divergences in the accumulation trend of wood stilbenes throughout the season in canes collected in the two different growing areas.

Удосконалення методології досліджень та оцінки інгаляційного та дермального впливу хімічних засобів захисту рослин. Частина ІІ.

Introduction. In the first part of the article, a comparative analysis of the domestic and international research methodology and assessment of the impact of plant protection products (PPP) on agricultural workers and the population is carried out. The analysis showed that the existing methodological approaches in Ukraine need to be improved. In particular, methodological approaches and procedures for their implementation should comply with international requirements for measuring external inhalation and dermal doses, calculating absorbed doses of the active substance (AS) PPP that affect persons subject to protection. Purpose of the Study. To develop procedures for studying and calculating the impact of the PPP on the operator, worker, outsider and resident during and after the application of the PPP that meet international requirements. Materials and Methods. A scientific analysis of domestic and foreign normative, methodological documents and scientific sources regulating the organization of research, measurement and calculation of the impact of PPP on agricultural workers and the population during and after the use of these products is carried out. Results. Based on the results of the analysis, procedures for sampling, delivery, storage of samples, description of data, calculation of exposure and absorbed doses of AS affecting the body of the operator, worker, outsider and resident by inhalation and dermal routes are proposed. Conclusions. The use of the proposed procedures will ensure that the studies comply with international requirements, and the results of their implementation will ensure the subsequent assessment and management of the PPP exposure risk to protected people. Keywords: plant protection products (PPP), inhalation and dermal exposure, operator, worker, outsider, resident, exposure and absorbed doses.

Assessment of map based variable rate strategies for copper reduction in hedge vineyards

Reduction of Plant Protection Products (PPP) has become a priority in agriculture, led by European directives and regulations due to the negative impacts and social awareness that pesticides have raised in the population. In viticulture, the use of copper to control Downy Mildew (Plasmopara viticola) is posing severe problems of soil, water and environment contamination, and European Commission is regulating its use through the EU regulation 2018/1981. A targeted spraying management can be done benefiting from the novel development of variable rate application (VRA) technology for orchard sprayers, resulting in savings of PPP. In this research, the quality of the application in terms of copper deposit in leaves of two VRA strategies where compared versus the conventional strategy performed by the farmer (REF). In each of the two VRA strategies, copper dosage was selected 1) maintaining copper dose per hectare (VRA) and 2) following the copper concentration listed in the product label (VRA[Cu]). Drone based NDVI maps from three commercial vineyards were used to characterize the structure of the vegetation in every vigour zone and manual measures in field were used to determine the most appropriate spraying volume rate according to canopy characteristics.Results show that a reduction of 33 and 44 % of copper used per hectare did not have significant impact on the quality of the application. On the contrary, while leaf deposit was comparable to that achieved by REF strategy, the product was better distributed across the entire canopy. Savings of 40 % of copper could be achieved in in the PPP application calendar along the season 2019 with no influence in disease control. Impact of PPP can be reduced by incorporating digital technologies, and the objectives of the Farm to Fork strategy and the European Green Deal can be met ensuring a more sustainable agri-food production.

Удосконалення методології досліджень та оцінки інгаляційного та дермального впливу хімічних засобів захисту рослин. Частина І

RESUME. A comparative analysis of domestic and international research methodology and assessment in relation to the impact of plant protection products (PPP) on agricultural workers and the population shows that the existing methodological approaches in Ukraine need improvement. This concerns the principles of organization, definition of the research purpose and objectives, conducting measurements, ensuring the reliability of the results and substantiating the impact assessment criteria. The areas of improvement should correspond to the domestic theoretical foundations of hygienic regulation and modern approaches to the study and assessment of PPP in the EU. Aim. To substantiate the approaches to creating a methodology for studying and assessing the impact of PPP on operators, workers, outsiders and residents, harmonized with international requirements. Materials and Methods. A scientific analysis of legal acts regulating the field of registration of PPP, regulatory and methodical documents in force in Ukraine and the EU, regulating the organization of research, measurement, assessment and management of the impact of PPP on agricultural workers and the population during and after the use of these means was carried out. The directions for improving the methodology are outlined and research tasks are formulated to create a system of definitions, rules, principles and operations that meet the common goals and tasks of studying, assessing and managing the risk of exposure to hazardous substances on operators, workers, outsiders and residents in Ukraine and the EU. Results. The proposed methodology defines: the purpose and tasks of the research; the concept of influence; evaluation criterion – the maximum permissible level of exposure by inhalation and dermal route (mg active substance (AS)/kg body weight/day) and values derived from it – the controlled concentration in the air of the breathing zone and the working area (mg AS/m3), the controlled concentration in air of populated places (mg AS/m3); people who are subject to protection for a certain duration of exposure; task, object and subject of research; requirements for analytical methods of monitoring safety limits for inhalation and dermal exposure; peculiarities of planning field studies for the purpose of PPP registration and supervision after registration. Conclusions. The use of the proposed system of definitions, rules, principles and criteria can ensure compliance of studies with international requirements for the study and assessment of the PPP impact on operators, workers, outsiders and residents. The directions for further improvement of the research methodology and assessment of PPP inhalation and dermal effects are outlined. Key Words: plant protection products, research methodology, inhalation and dermal exposure, assessment criterion, control of safety limits.

The behaviour of grapevine growers in the decision-making of using Plant Protection Products (PPP) from Palmela region

In current days, the major challenges for farmers are the impact of plant protection products (PPP) on the public health, the environment protection, residues reduction, bees and non-target organisms, as well as, the withdrawal of many active ingredients and climate changes. Given the current situation, sustainable use of PPP is a main objective and priority. The decisions making of using PPP of 235 winegrowers from Palmela region, which do not have regular technical assistance, were assessed during 2016 until 2019. The data analysed included the number of applications, the dosages used and the compliance of pre-harvest interval (PHI). For each year, it was observed that a winegrower, on average, made seven treatments, although the tendency is a decrease to reduce the number of treatments. The PPP most used belong to the groups 3 (Triazoles), M02 (Inorganic) and M04 + 4 (Phthalimides + Phenyl Amides) according FRAC Code. Regardless of the climatic conditions and the disease pressure in the vineyard, the winegrowers used PPP every 14 days. Fear and “empiric experience” sometimes overtake knowledge and technology. That could only be changed with trust between technical assistance and farmers. That could be the solution to face the mentioned challenges and to offer sustainable wines from Palmela region.

The measures implemented to reduce the impact of plant protection products on pollinators in France

Shortly after the introduction of systemic insecticides, new problems were observed by beekeepers on honeybee colonies. The studies carried out under laboratory conditions have shown sublethal effects on honeybee behavior. However, it was not possible to reproduce under natural conditions the effects described by beekeepers on bee colonies. In addition, studies have revealed that many other factors could also be responsible for the dysfunction of honeybee colonies. Scientists agree that problems observed on the hives are the result of multifactorial effects. Measures concerning apicultural and agricultural practices are therefore necessary to improve honeybee colonies' health and to preserve the diversity of pollinators in France.

Digital image analysis tool to improve the assessment and evaluation of brood development in higher tier honey bee studies

The potential impact of plant protection products on honeybee brood development is of increasing concern. Therefore, regulatory authorities request the studies to be monitored for potential adverse effects on honeybee brood development (Guidance document OECD 75). Current methods have a number of inherent technical limitations which we solved by computerizing the analysis. The computer-aided digital image analysis and evaluation method of brood development in honeybee combs which we developed allows to systematically evaluate brood development on the basis of high definition pictures of brood frames taken during semi-field or field honeybees trials. The computer-aided method enables the post-hoc analysis of virtually any number of cells in the comb, overcoming the issue of the low cell number, usually monitored with the acetate-sheet method as well as the traceability and verification of the data. The recording method and software have been designed and compiled with the intention to provide a tool for a 100% traceable analysis of bee brood studies which is gap free and systematically documented. This is of utmost importance when working under Good Laboratory Conditions (GLP). The method minimizes adverse impact on bee brood by reducing the out-of-hive time and hence is likely to increase the success rate of studies. The availability of digital images allows the post hoc analysis of any number of cells. The automated tracing of the cells under investigation, together with the automated classification of the data excludes manual data transcription errors which are possible when the acetate-sheet technique is used. As a result, data reliability, quality and statistical power have been significantly improved. For more details please see Jeker et al. (2012).

Computer-assisted digital image analysis and evaluation of brood development in honey bee combs

SummaryThe potential impact of plant protection products on honey bee brood development is of increasing concern. Regulatory authorities therefore now request studies monitoring potential adverse effects on honey bee brood development. Current methods have a number of inherent technical limitations which we have circumvented by computerization of analysis. In this article, we describe the computer-assisted digital image analysis and evaluation method of brood development in honey bee combs. With this tool it is possible to systematically evaluate brood development on the basis of high definition pictures of brood frames taken during semi-field or field scale honey bee trials. The computerassisted method enables the post-hoc analysis of virtually any number of cells, and addresses both the issues of small cell numbers as well as the traceability and verification of the data. The method and software described has been designed and compiled with the intention of providing a tool for the 100% traceable analysis of bee brood studies with gap-free, systematic documentation. This is extremely important when working under Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) conditions. By reducing the out-of-hive time, the method minimizes the impact on the bee brood, and is thus likely to increase the success rate of studies. The availability of digital images allows the post-hoc analysis of any number of cells. The automated tracing of the cells under investigation and the automated population of the cell classification data excludes manual data transcription errors and thus significantly improves data reliability.

Effects of the Fungicide Benomyl on Earthworms in Laboratory Tests Under Tropical and Temperate Conditions

Soil organisms play a crucial role in the terrestrial ecosystem. Plant protection products (PPPs) are known to affect soil organisms and might have negative impacts on soil functions influenced by these organisms. Little research has been performed to date on the impact of PPPs on tropical soil ecosystems. Therefore, in this study it was investigated whether the effects of the fungicide benomyl (chosen as a model substance) differ between tropical and temperate regions and whether data generated under temperate conditions can be used for the Environmental Risk Assessment (ERA) in tropical regions. The effect of benomyl on earthworms was evaluated in acute and chronic laboratory tests modified for tropical conditions. These tests were performed at two temperatures (20 degrees C and 28 degrees C) and with two strains (temperate and tropical) of the compost worm Eisenia fetida. The fungicide was spiked in two natural and two artificial soils. In addition to the organization for economic cooperation and development (OECD) artificial soil, a tropical artificial soil (TAS), containing a tropical fern product (xaxim) instead of peat, was developed in this study. The results from the laboratory tests and a literature review showed that the effects of benomyl were, on average, lower under tropical conditions (LC(50): 450-630 mg active ingredient (a.i.)/kg; EC(50): 0.8-12.9 mg a.i./kg) than under temperate conditions (LC(5)0: 61-67 mg a.i./kg; EC(50): 1.0-1.6 mg a.i./kg) by a maximum factor of 10.3 (acute tests) and 12.9 (chronic tests). This result might be caused by an increased degradation of benomyl, and/or its first metabolite carbendazim, at higher temperatures, but a different sensitivity of the two worm strains cannot be ruled out. Despite the lower toxicity under tropical conditions and assuming comparable application rates, a preliminary assessment confirms the risk of benomyl to soil invertebrates under both conditions.

The POCER indicator: a decision tool for non‐agricultural pesticide use

Pesticides are used not only in agriculture but also by public services and households. Much information is available on the influence of agricultural applications on human health by occupational exposure and on the environment. There is still a need for adequate information on the impact of non-agricultural applications of pesticides. The POCER indicator (Pesticide Occupational and Environmental Risk indicator) has been developed at Ghent University for agricultural situations, as a tool for applicators and decision-makers, by calculating the impact of pesticide treatments on the applicator, the worker, the bystander, groundwater, surface water, bees, earthworms, birds, useful arthropods and persistence in soil. A few adaptations in the POCER calculation method can make the indicator also very useful for non-agricultural conditions. The impact of plant protection products on human health and environment in public services and households can be calculated and the scores can be compared with each other, resulting in an improved pesticide programme. Decision makers might use the POCER indicator to evaluate the reduction programme of public services and communities and offer them measurements to reduce the impact of pesticides. For example, wearing protective clothing or taking into account the distance between application and surface water can greatly reduce the impact score.