Overview: Risk Factors and Historic Levels of Pressure From Insect Pests of Seedling Corn, Cotton, Soybean, and Wheat in the United States

Papiernik, Sharon K.; Sappington, Thomas W.; Luttrell, R. G.; Hesler, Louis S.; Allen, Charles T.

doi:10.1093/jipm/pmx026

Cited by 16 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…For similar reasons, our findings on insecticide use trends for counties in California should be interpreted cautiously given the lack of seed treatment data in that state. Similarly, our results point to a need for more detailed investigation of the combined agronomic and socioeconomic drivers of neonicotinoid seed treatments, which do not seem to be cleanly related to pest pressure or field-level economics 24,30,37,38 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 71%

“…Building on these national analyses, the research presented here characterizes for the first time the spatial dimension of changes in bee toxic load, by estimating this value and its contributing elements of insecticide extent and intensity at the county scale. In the US, there is considerable regional variation in insecticide use patterns due to the large size of the country, the concentration of different crop production systems in particular areas, the divergent insecticide regimes associated with different crops, and regional variation in pest pressure 23,29,30 . Analyses at regional to local scales are vital to target insecticide mitigation efforts and to facilitate research relating spatial patterns in insecticide use to spatial patterns in important outcomes such as crop production, insecticide resistance, and pollinator decline.…”

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confidence: 99%

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County-level analysis reveals a rapidly shifting landscape of insecticide hazard to honey bees (Apis mellifera) on US farmland

Douglas

Sponsler

Lonsdorf

et al. 2020

Sci Rep

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Each year, millions of kilograms of insecticides are applied to crops in the US. While insecticide use supports food, fuel, and fiber production, it can also threaten non-target organisms, a concern underscored by mounting evidence of widespread decline of pollinator populations. Here, we integrate several public datasets to generate county-level annual estimates of total ‘bee toxic load’ (honey bee lethal doses) for insecticides applied in the US between 1997–2012, calculated separately for oral and contact toxicity. To explore the underlying components of the observed changes, we divide bee toxic load into extent (area treated) and intensity (application rate x potency). We show that while contact-based bee toxic load remained relatively steady, oral-based bee toxic load increased roughly 9-fold, with reductions in application rate outweighed by disproportionate increases in potency (toxicity/kg) and extent. This pattern varied markedly by region, with the greatest increase seen in Heartland (121-fold increase), likely driven by use of neonicotinoid seed treatments in corn and soybean. In this “potency paradox”, farmland in the central US has become more hazardous to bees despite lower volumes of insecticides applied, raising concerns about insect conservation and highlighting the importance of integrative approaches to pesticide use monitoring.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 71%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

County-level analysis reveals a rapidly shifting landscape of insecticide hazard to honey bees (Apis mellifera) on US farmland

Douglas

Sponsler

Lonsdorf

et al. 2020

Sci Rep

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show abstract

“…Similarly, our results point to a need for more detailed investigation of the combined agronomic 231 and socioeconomic drivers of neonicotinoid seed treatments, which do not seem to be cleanly 232 related to pest pressure or field-level economics (25,31). 233…”

Section: Discussion 200mentioning

confidence: 79%

“…Finally, insecticide use trends can vary substantially depending on the spatial scale 114 considered. Analyses at the national scale may obscure important local variation, particularly in 115 the US given the large size of the country, the concentration of different crop production systems 116 in particular areas, the divergent insecticide regimes associated with different crops, and regional 117 variation in pest pressure (24,30,31). Analyses at regional to local scales can help to target 118 insecticide mitigation efforts and facilitate research relating spatial patterns in insecticide use to 119 spatial patterns in important outcomes such as crop production, insecticide resistance, and 120 pollinator decline.…”

Section: Significance Statement 49mentioning

confidence: 99%

Rising insecticide potency outweighs falling application rate to make US farmland increasingly hazardous to insects

et al. 2019

Preprint

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28Each year, millions of kilograms of insecticides are applied to crops in the US. While insecticide 29 use supports food, fuel, and fiber production, it can also threaten non-target organisms, a concern 30 underscored by mounting evidence of widespread insect decline. Nevertheless, answers to basic 31 questions about the spatiotemporal patterns of insecticide use remain elusive, due in part to the 32 inherent complexity of insecticide use, and exacerbated by the dispersed nature of the relevant 33 data, divided between several government repositories. Here, we integrate these public datasets 34 to generate county-level annual estimates of total 'insect toxic load' (honey bee lethal doses) for 35 insecticides applied in the US between 1997-2012, calculated separately for oral and contact 36 toxicity. To explore the underlying drivers of the observed changes, we divide insect toxic load 37 into the components of extent (area treated) and intensity (application rate x potency). We show 38 that while contact-based insect toxic load remained relatively steady over the period of our 39 analysis, oral-based insect toxic load increased roughly 9-fold, with reductions in application rate 40 outweighed by disproportionate increases in potency (toxicity/kg) and increases in extent. This 41 pattern varied markedly by region, with the greatest increases seen in Heartland and Northern 42Great Plains regions, likely driven by use of neonicotinoid seed treatments in corn and soybean. 43In this "potency paradox," US farmland has become more hazardous to insects despite lower 44 volumes of insecticides applied, raising serious concerns about insect conservation and 45 highlighting the importance of integrative approaches to pesticide use monitoring. 46 47 48 the potency (toxicity/kg) of insecticides applied and in the area treated; the volume of 56 insecticides applied declined. Toxic load increased most dramatically in regions where 57 neonicotinoid seed treatments for field crops are commonly used. 58 59 395

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“…The first neonicotinoid insecticide was approved for agriculture in 1994 and was soon combined with polymer seed coatings to make insecticide seed treatments to protect seeds and to provide systemic protection of seedlings for a few weeks after germination. 4,5 Second, genetically engineered crops that produce Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) insecticidal proteins were commercialized and first sold in 1996. With these advances, the 2012-2014 US average area treated with foliar insecticides was 9.3 × 10 6 ha of soybeans, 8.1 × 10 6 ha for cotton, and 2.5 × 10 6 ha for maize, with maize farmers treating an additional 5.3 × 10 6 ha with soil-applied insecticides.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The value of insect management to US maize, soybean and cotton farmers

Hurley

Mitchell

2020

Pest Management Science

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BACKGROUND: Most US maize, soybean and cotton farmers use Bt crops, insecticidal seed treatments, soil-applied insecticides, and foliar sprays to manage insect pests. Given the global economic importance of these crops, we examine farmer benefits of this insecticide use. Using a telephone survey, we document pest management practices and concerns, estimate adoption and farmer perceived values for these practices, and determine factors besides yield and cost that impact adoption and perceived value. RESULTS: Seed-based technologies (Bt seed, seed treatments) dominated insecticide use. Almost 80% of respondents' planted hectares used Bt crops and more than half used seed treatments, while about one-sixth used soil insecticides and one-sixth to one-third used foliar insecticides. Perceived farmer values per treated hectare were greatest for Bt cotton and foliar insecticides in cotton, especially after first bloom. Values for maize and other cotton insecticide uses were greater than for soybean. Aggregating over treated areas, the largest total values for each crop were for seed-based technologies. In addition to yield and cost, farmers showed significant concern for economic risk and human and environmental safety when making pest management decisions. These non-monetary concerns significantly affected the likelihood farmers used these practices and their perceived value. CONCLUSION: For these crops, seed-based insecticides dominate farmer insecticide use and the value they derive from insecticides. Because seed purchase is months before planting, farmers rely on risk-based integrated pest management to make pest management decisions, weighing both monetary and non-monetary factors when deciding whether the risks are sufficient to justify the use of insecticides.

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Overview: Risk Factors and Historic Levels of Pressure From Insect Pests of Seedling Corn, Cotton, Soybean, and Wheat in the United States

Cited by 16 publications

References 33 publications

County-level analysis reveals a rapidly shifting landscape of insecticide hazard to honey bees (Apis mellifera) on US farmland

County-level analysis reveals a rapidly shifting landscape of insecticide hazard to honey bees (Apis mellifera) on US farmland

Rising insecticide potency outweighs falling application rate to make US farmland increasingly hazardous to insects

The value of insect management to US maize, soybean and cotton farmers

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