Use Of Pesticides In Agriculture Research Articles

Use of Plant Health Level Based on Random Forest Algorithm for Agricultural Drone Target Points

Chemical residues from the use of pesticides in agriculture can impact human health through environmental and food pollution. To lessen the negative effects of excessive pesticide use, pesticides must be applied to plants by dose. The dose of pesticide application can be based on a plant health level, which is the result of drone Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) image analysis. Drones can also be used for spraying pesticides. Analysis of plant health levels was carried out using the Random Forest (RF) algorithm. The results of the classification plant health levels will be used to design spray drone flight routes. The objective of this research is to classify plant health levels of rice based on NDVI imagery using the RF algorithm and to compile a database of spray drone target points. The results of this study indicate that the classification of plant health levels using the RF algorithm produces an accuracy value of 98% and a Kappa value of 0.96. As a result, the model developed and the algorithm employed is quite effective at classifying the level of plant health. Furthermore, spray drone target points based on plant health levels can be generated. Optimally the spray distance between rows is 2 m.

Issues arising from regulating the use of pesticides in urban agriculture in Côte d’Ivoire

Issues arising from regulating the use of pesticides in urban agriculture in Côte d’Ivoire

Relationships of perception of health risks by use of pesticides: a man-environment look

The use of agricultural pesticides is increasingly linked to public health problems and negative impacts on the environment. Furthermore, Brazilian environmental agencies lack protective actions. Our objective in this study was to analyze the process that leads to the perception of the risks associated with the use of pesticides in the riverside agricultural communities of the San Francisco Valley in northeastern Brazil. We conducted a qualitative literature review, applying the Constructivist Grounded Theory to the analysis of published scientific articles. The elements of the perception process that we identified are (1) the environment; (2) conditioning factors; (3) perception of the human body; (4) memory; (5) socio-cognitive processing; (6) automatic response; (7) decision-making process; and (8) behavior. Each of these elements and their relationships indicate the location of the causes of inadequate perception, and thus guide potential solutions.

The role of public consultations in decision-making on future agricultural pesticide use: insights from European Union’s Farm to Fork Strategy public consultation

ABSTRACT This paper considers the role of public consultations in complex agri-environmental policy-making. Through a critical discourse analysis of submissions to the public consultation concerning the European Union’s Farm to Fork Strategy, we examine the role of public consultations as a democratic process and the extent to which their non-deliberative nature advances solutions to contentious and complex challenges. We explore different perspectives around the future of agricultural pesticide use and find evidence of polarised submissions. Those in favour of reducing pesticides tend to argue on the grounds of planetary and human health, emphasizing that alternatives already exist and resistance to change results from a lack of political will. Those arguing against setting further restrictions on pesticide use, focus on food security and the lack of viable alternatives. Taking inspiration from Arnstein’s (1969) [A ladder of citizen participation. Journal of the American Institute of Planners, 35(4), 216–224] ladder of participation and Fishkin’s (2011) [Making deliberative democracy practical. Chapter 4. In When the people speak: Deliberative democracy and public consultation (pp. 95–105] questions around what makes deliberative democracy practical, we argue that consultations are not merely ‘tokenistic’, but do appear to be inadequate where discourses are strongly polarised, as they are not sufficiently inclusive or thoughtful, using scientific findings only where these support pre-existing views. As such, we explore how other deliberative approaches may be more adequate for seeking legitimate solutions to complex challenges.

Assessing farmer's exposure to pesticides and the risk for non-communicable diseases: A biomonitoring study

This cross-sectional study aimed to assess the adverse effects of pesticide use in humans, such as non-communicable diseases, using acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and pesticide concentrations in blood samples. A total of 353 samples (290 case and 63 control) were collected from participants with >20 years of experience in agricultural pesticide use. The pesticide and AChE concentrations were determined using Liquid Chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and Reverse Phase High Performance Liquid Chromatography (RP-HPLC). Various health risks from pesticide exposure were assessed, including dizziness or headache, tension, anxiety, confusion, loss of appetite, loss of balance, concentration difficulties, irritability, anger, and depression. These risks may be influenced by the duration and intensity of exposure, the type of pesticide, and environmental factors in the affected areas. A total of 26 pesticides were detected in the blood samples from the exposed population, including 16 insecticides, three fungicides, and seven herbicides. Pesticide concentrations ranged from 0.20 to 12.12 ng/mL, and were statistically significant between the case and control groups (p < 0.05, p < 0.01, and p < 0.001). A correlation analysis was performed to determine statistically significance between pesticide concentration and symptoms of non-communicable diseases, such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, obesity, and diabetes. The estimated AChE levels in case and control blood samples were 21.58 ± 2.31 and 24.13 ± 1.08 U/mL, respectively (mean ± SD). The AChE levels were significantly lower in case samples than in controls (p < 0.001), which is considered to be an effect of long-term pesticide exposure, and is the cause of Alzheimer's disease (p < 0.001), Parkinson's disease (p < 0.001), and obesity (p < 0.01). Chronic exposure to pesticides and low levels of AChE are somewhat related to non-communicable diseases.

Low-cost materials as vehicles for pesticides in aquatic media: a review of the current status of different biosorbents employed, optimization by RSM approach.

Water contamination by pesticides is increasing dramatically due to population growth and the extensive use of pesticides in agriculture, leading to grave environmental and health concerns. Thus, efficient processes and the design and development of effective treatment technologies are required due to the enormous demand for fresh water. The adsorption approach has been widely used to remove organic contaminants such as pesticides because of its performance, less expense, high selectivity, and simplicity of operation compared to other treatment technologies. Among alternative adsorbents, biomaterials abundantly available for pesticide sorption from water resources have attracted the attention of researchers worldwide. The main objective of this review article is to (i) present studies on a wide range of raw or chemically modified biomaterials potentially effective in removing pesticides from aqueous media; (ii) indicating the effectiveness of biosorbents as green and low-cost materials for removing pesticides from wastewater; and (iii) furthermore, report the application of response surface methodology (RSM) for modeling and optimizing adsorption.

Pesticide dependence and associated risks in Uruguayan agriculture: limitations in its approach

Pesticides have become an essential input for agriculture in the last decades. However, the growing concern about the potential impact produced by such dependency on human health and the environmental level has led to strong questionings about the use of pesticides worldwide. This paper aims to analyze the use of pesticides in Uruguay's agriculture and their potential risks with an emphasis on ecotoxicological risks. For such purposes, data on imports and use of pesticides in Uruguay and some other agricultural regions corresponding to the last two decades (2000-2020) were collected. In addition, information on the risks associated with the use of different pesticides compiled in the Pesticide Properties Database of the University of Hertfordshire was reviewed, as well as information generated by related national and international research. The information collected indicates high intensity usage of pesticides in Uruguayan agriculture and uncertainties in relation to environmental risks that may arise from the current forms of use.

Removing non‐crop flowers within orchards promotes the decline of pollinators, not their conservation: A comment on McDougall et al. (2021)

Abstract Abundant and diverse floral resources are needed for the preservation of pollinator populations and the services they provide to human societies. However, pollinators are negatively affected by several agricultural practices, among which pesticide use and ‘weed’ removal stand out. McDougall et al. (2021) published a paper titled ‘Managing orchard groundcover to reduce pollinator foraging post‐bloom’, where they propose removing the within‐field flowering ground vegetation after the mass flowering period of the crop ends, to reduce pesticide exposure. They consider this is a bee conservation strategy, after observing it reduces the abundance and diversity of pollinators within the crop. However, despite assuming this implied a realisation of an expected reduction in pesticide exposure, this was not quantified. Here, we give three main arguments against the proposal of the authors, that is, the need for providing accessible, sufficient, safe and seasonally‐spread feeding resources to crop pollinators, the potential role of diverse floral resources in their pesticide tolerance, and the urgent need to reduce pesticide use and impact in agriculture.

Development and validation of a multi-class analysis of pesticides in corn products by comprehensive two-dimensional liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

Due to the growing trend of organic food, there is still concern over the use of chemicals and pesticides in agriculture. In recent years, several procedures have been validated for the control of pesticides in food. In the present research, a comprehensive two-dimensional liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry is proposed for the first time for a multi-class analysis of 112 pesticides in corn-based products. Notably, a “reduced” QuEChERS-based method as extraction and clean-up procedure prior to the analysis, was successfully employed. Limits of quantification values were lower than the ones fixed by the European legislation; intra-day and inter-day precision were lower than 12.9% and 15.1%, respectively (at the 500 μg/kg concentration levels). Over 70% of the analytes provided recoveries between 70% and 120% range (at 50, 500 and 1000 µg/kg concentration levels) with standard deviation values below 20%. In addition, matrix effect values were in the range between 13% to 161%. The method was applied to the analysis of real samples, and three pesticides were detected at trace levels in both samples. The findings of this work pave the way for the treatment of complex matrices such as corn products.

Piper nigrum allelopathy on the germination and initial growth of Lactuca sativa and Panicum maximum

The increased demand for food promotes greater use of agricultural inputs and pesticides used in pest control. Many of these products have negative environmental and public health impacts. Thus, there is a need for alternative products, with allelopathic capacity that reduce such impacts. The objective of this work was to verify the allelopathic potential of Piper nigrum L. extracts on the germination and initial growth of Panicum maximum Jacq. and Lactuca sativa seeds. The experimental design used was completely randomized, using two plant organs (leaf and seed), three extractors (hexane, ethyl acetate and methanol) and five concentrations (0 mg/L, 200 mg/L, 400 mg/L, 600 mg/L and 800 mg/L). It was verified the influence of these extracts on germination speed index (IVG), germination percentage (G), mean germination time (TMG), allelopathy index (IA), shoot growth (CPA) and in the root growth (CR) of seeds and seedlings. The leaf and seed extracts, at all concentrations and extractors tested, did not show phytotoxicity or had a very small inhibitory effect on germination and initial growth of Lactuca sativa. For Panicum maximum, ethyl acetate and methanol seed extracts, at the highest concentrations tested, had the most significant negative effects on the weed. Thus, it was possible to infer that extracts from Piper nigrum seeds have potential use in the control of the weed Panicum maximum.

A screening study of the spatial distribution and cumulative toxicity of agricultural pesticides in the European Union’s waters

Pesticides can be an important stressor to aquatic ecosystems, and their use is strictly regulated in the European Union (EU). However, data on the use of pesticides are rather limited and poorly available, and monitoring is often insufficient to characterize their actual exposure and impact. The aim of the work presented here is to harness the limited data available and assess, for the first time, the distribution of concentrations and toxicity of 148 pesticide active substances (AS) for the whole EU. Starting from available estimates of pesticide use in agriculture and a simple screening-level model of their fate and transport, we quantify pesticide concentrations in soil and water. A comparison with monitoring data shows that predicted water concentrations are in plausible orders of magnitude, hence the model can be regarded as a first-approximation representation of the distribution of pesticides in the environment. The toxicity of individual pesticide active substances (AS) is characterized by their concentrations divided by the respective no observed effect concentrations (NOEC) for aquatic organisms, which represents the “toxic units” (TU) of each AS. The cumulative toxicity of pesticides in soils and streams of the EU is obtained by summing the TU of individual AS. We estimate that the toxicity of individual AS is generally well below 0.1 TU, indicating relatively safe environmental exposure. However, the cumulative toxicity of a mixture of AS can exceed 0.1 toxic units (TU) for more than 27% of the length of the EU’s stream network, and 1 TU for more than 4%. The cumulative toxicity at a given location is driven by only a handful of AS, but these differ from site to site reflecting the variability of pesticide use. Still, we estimate that only about 20 AS out of 148 appear among the top contributors to cumulative toxicity in most cases. While our assessment suggests a relatively widespread risk due to pesticide pollution, it also points to the important limitations concerning knowledge of pesticide use and monitoring of pesticide occurrence in the environment. These limitations need to be addressed in order to evaluate more accurately the effectiveness of EU pesticide policies. The assessment represents a proof-of-concept of a method that can be applied in support of the monitoring of pesticide policies implementation in the EU and elsewhere, once pesticide use can be estimated.

Does Pollution Only Affect Human Health? A Scenario for Argumentation in the Framework of One Health Education

Schooling should equip citizens with the scientific knowledge necessary to make informed decisions about health problems arising from the current environmental crisis. Given the scarcity of educational proposals that integrate evidence-based argumentation, One Health education and complexity-based solution proposals, this study aims to introduce a scenario linking the use of pesticides in agriculture to infertility, and to analyse the extent to which it promotes students to apply these three approaches. The activity requires 10th graders to rank 6 cities from most to least polluted, using evidence on the reproductive problems of different organisms in the ecosystem (humans, harlequin flies). Moreover, students have to propose solutions to avoid the toxic risk caused by pesticides. Group discussions are analysed to determine learners’ performance in using evidence and formulating causal explanations to justify their rankings, as well as in proposing reasoned solutions, considering different perspectives. The results show that most groups rank cities as expected. Although they do not use all available evidence, the design of the activity encourages students to establish frequent causal relationships between human, animal, and environmental health data (argumentation integrating the One Health approach). Moreover, most solutions are palliative rather than preventive, respond to an anthropocentric interest, and their consequences are rarely assessed. In doing so, students only foresee their environmental or economic impact, but not their ethical or political consequences. Educational implications are discussed.

Graphene Quantum Dots Derived from Honey and Mangostin as Sustainable Materials to Construct Fluorescence Turn‐On Molecular Switches for Pesticide Detection

AbstractExtensive use of pesticides in agriculture can lead to environmental pollution and potentially adverse health effects. A fluorescence Turn‐On molecular switch, derived from naturally occurring α‐mangostin (MN), isolated from the pericarp of mangosteen fruit and Graphene Quantum Dots (GQDs) synthesized from honey, was developed for the detection of carbofuran‐an organic toxic carbamate pesticide. GQDs derived from honey shows a strong fluorescence emission centered at 430 nm, which was efficiently quenched by the addition of MN. The quenching of fluorescence of GQDs by the addition of MN (OFF state) and the regaining of quenched fluorescence of GQDs‐MN system (ON state) upon the addition of the pesticide carbofuran was utilized as a detection strategy for the toxic pesticide carbofuran.

Impact of increasing pesticides and fertilizers on human health: A review

The increasing use of fertilizers and pesticides in agriculture has been a hot topic for discussion for many years now. While these chemical compounds are designed to enhance the growth of crops and protect them from diseases, they are also known to cause adverse effects on human health. Chemical fertilizers and pesticides have recently caused several environmental and water pollution issues. The primary sources of exposure to these chemicals are food, water, and the environment, which all indirectly or directly affect human health. This review paper examines the impact of increasing fertilizers and pesticides on human health, highlighting the potential risks and benefits associated with their use.

Extension knowledge needs of farmers in the field of extensional recommendations for the use of agricultural pesticides in sharbazher district - Sulaymaniyah Governorate

The aim of the research was to determine extension knowledge training needs of farmers in the field of extensional recommendations for the use of agricultural pesticides and their effects. The research data was collected using a questionnaire by personal interview for a random sample consisting of 123 farmers representing 5% of the research population (2455), which were. To measure the validity of the research tool, it was presented to specialists in the fields of extension and plant protection, the reliability coefficient was calculated through an exploratory sample outside the study sample by split half method, and its value was (0.82). After final modifications, the questionnaire was used to collect data from the research sample. Finally, the software SPSS ver22 was used for data analysis. The results showed that the majority of farmers their extension knowledge training needs were medium, the economic effects occupied the first rank in terms of training needs, while the environmental effects occupied the last rank.as well as the results appeared there is a significant difference in training needs according factors (land area, family help, training courses), while no significant differences according to variables (age, level of education, the amount of pesticide use, use alternative of pesticide, source of information). The research recommended increasing training activities in the field of agricultural pesticides according to their training needs, focusing the courses on the economic effect aspects, and paying more attention to farmers to participate in training courses in this field and urging them to use alternatives to pesticides.

Effects of pesticide use in agriculture and its impact on human health

Effects of pesticide use in agriculture and its impact on human health

Electrochemical molecularly imprinted polymer sensor for ultrasensitive indoxacarb detection by tin disulfide quantum dots/carbon nitride/multiwalled carbon nanotubes as a nanocomposite

Unsuitable use of agricultural pesticides has caused excessive pollution of the environment. Therefore, it is very important to identify the remaining contamination in environmental samples. Indoxacarb (IDC) as an oxadiazine fungicide use on large part of corps. In this work, we reported voltammetric sensor-based molecularly imprinted polymers (MIP) film on a tin disulfide quantum dots-carbon nitride-multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MIP@SnS2 QDs/pg-C3N4/MWCNTs) nanocomposite for ultrasensitive detection of IDC. Cyclic and differential pulse voltammetry (CV and DPV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy, photoluminescence spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), elemental mapping used for characterization of the proposed electrode. Under optimum conditions, the current response for IDC was obtained in the linear range of 20.0 nmol L−1 to 10.0 µmol L−1 and a detection limit of 7.1 nmol L−1. Using this MIP sensor, IDC has been determined in samples of Zayandeh Rood river water and apple. Several advantages of the proposed sensor were demonstrated, including its sensitivity, selectivity, and simplicity.

Ecotoxicological studies of selected agrochemicals on the moulting stages of Cyphoderus javanus under laboratory conditions

Indiscriminate use of toxic pesticides in agriculture has raised serious concerns worldwide, which led to a steady destruction of soil biota as well as the overall health of ecosystem. The present study was designed to evaluate the effects of selected agrochemicals such as cyfluthrin (insecticide), fytran (fungicide) and oxadiargyl (herbicide) on the moulting stages of soil springtail Cyphoderus javnaus. Laboratory analysis results indicated that the agrochemical treated organisms showed prolonged moulting intervals and need more days than normal to become a complete adult having sexual maturity. On treatment with the sub lethal concentration of oxadiargyl, first moult noticed after12th day, second moult after24 th day, third moult after 36 th day of egg hatching. The effect of herbicide oxadiargyl on Cyphoderus javanus was found to be comparatively higher than that of other two pesticides. The changes noticed in developmental stages, moulting period and egg laying pattern in Cyphoderus javanus when exposed to agrochemicals indicated that this soil collembolan is a potential biomarker of ecotoxicology investigations.

Agricultural Use of Pesticides in Galicia (NW Spain) During the 20th Century: Inventory of Active Substances and Their Geographic Distribution

Production of agricultural pesticides underwent an exponential increase during the 20th century. Many of these pesticides have since been prohibited because they are toxic and because they are bioaccumulated and persist in the environment. Detailed knowledge about any substance that is applied to land is essential to enable evaluation of potential contamination effects and the risk of latent exposure to these types of substances. However, accurate determination of the type and amounts of pesticides used throughout the history of agriculture in Spain is greatly complicated by the absence of historical records, scarce control of use and the lack of effective legislation until well into the 21st century. The aims of this study were: 1) to elaborate an inventory of the active substances of the agricultural pesticides (phytosanitary products) used in Galicia throughout the 20th century, 2) to develop a model of their geographic distribution by using a geographic information system (GIS), and 3) to contrast the geographical model obtained for selected persistent pesticides with the presence of these compounds in raw water. We consulted a large variety of sources of information and carried out a geographic analysis for the most commonly used pesticides in different crops. We inventoried a total of 176 active substances belonging to more than 50 different classes of chemicals and observed a clear geographic zoning according to the chemical class and mode of action of the substances. The presence of pesticide residues at drinking water extraction points is consistent with the geographic delimitation established in the study.

Self-reported assessment of compliance with pesticide rules

How pesticides are used is very important in determining the risk they pose to both the user, and the environment. Given they can have toxic properties, if pesticides are misused they could cause serious harm to the users health as well as a range of environmental damage. Despite this, very little research has quantified whether agricultural use of pesticides is compliant with the legally binding obligations and associated guidance surrounding application. In this survey we used an online, fully anonymous, questionnaire to ask Irish farmers about how they use pesticides. We used a self-reporting methodology, directly asking farmers about their compliance levels. We had a total of 76 unique valid respondents. Our respondents covered the broad range of Irish agriculture, and we quantified how this relates to national demographics. Overall compliance regarding pesticide use was high, with the majority of respondents complying the majority of the time. However, we also found a sizable group who report low compliance levels for certain topics. Respondents reported the highest levels of non-compliance with the use of personal protective equipment, with nearly half of all respondents admitting to not wearing certain required protective equipment on a regular basis. In contrast, for some areas like application rate, very high compliance was reported. Moderate levels of non-compliance with bee protective mitigation measures were found, and some reported practices like not emptying or washing out the spray tank between sprays could have serious impacts on pollinators, soil organisms and other non-targets. Additionally, a minority of respondents admitted to actions which could cause serious water course pollution. As the first survey on a range of pesticide compliance topics within a developed nation, the compliance seen is very high compared to levels in developing nations. Our results demonstrate that the assumption that all legal obligations and guidance surrounding pesticide use are followed is unfounded, but that the majority of the respondents are mostly compliant. Education or enforcement should be targeted to certain areas where compliance is weakest to minimise harm from pesticide use. Reducing the non-compliance we report here could benefit both farmer and environmental health, and ensure that pesticides are used in a manner that risk assessment has deemed safe.