The role of the EMA software in integrated crop management and its commercial uptake

There is increased awareness of the need to clean the external surfaces of sprayers, but the extent to which the washings may impact on the environment is not known. Quantification of the levels of external residues on sprayers could give an indication of the potential environmental impact of sprayer cleaning. The presence of azoxystrobin, carbendazim, chlorothalonil, cyanazine, cypermethrin, epoxiconazole, flusilazole, isoproturon, kresoxim-methyl, metazachlor, pendimethalin, pirimicarb and tebuconazole on thirteen sprayers, sampled on two occasions was investigated. Composite samples were taken from the boom, nozzles and spray tank (delivery system) and the mudguard, cab door, rear window and windscreen (tractor body). Despite being subject to some form of cleaning, pesticides were detected on all sprayers. Residues were found at higher quantities and with greater frequency on the nozzles and booms, but the mean dose on the spray tank was equal to that on the mudguard (7.2 mg m(-2)). Isoproturon, pendimethalin, metazachlor, chlorothalonil and azoxystrobin were all detected above 1000 mg m(-2) on the delivery system, whereas on the tractor body the highest concentrations were between 100 and 1000 mg m(-2) (isoproturon, pendimethalin, chlorothalonil and carbendazim). On the whole, azoxystrobin was detected on the least number of occasions. However, there was great variation within and between compounds and sampling sites. Generally sprayers were not cleaned frequently or efficiently, enabling residues to accumulate on the external surfaces where they can remain for years. The findings here indicate that the quantity of these residues may be sufficient to be harmful to aquatic organisms should the residues enter a watercourse. In addition, if all the residues were removed by cleaning in the field and the washings catchment area was 15 m2 or less, overdosing could occur. Further work is required to assess whether a more frequent cleaning regime would reduce the overall environmental impact of cleaning sprayers. Implications for potential occupational exposure are considered elsewhere.

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“… a Source: Tomlin;17 except pendimethalin, for which the source was the EMA database described by Lewis and Tzilivakis 18…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pesticide residues on the external surfaces of field‐crop sprayers: environmental impact

Ramwell

Johnson

Boxall

et al. 2004

Pest Management Science

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“… c Environmental Management for Agriculture (EMA) software and databases are described by Lewis and Tzilivakis 10…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Herbicide loss following application to a roadside

Ramwell

Heather

Shepherd

2002

Pest Management Science

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Risk assessments for herbicides applied to roads are limited by the lack of knowledge on the fate and behaviour of the compounds in the urban environment. This study was designed to address this deficiency by quantifying the percentage loss of six herbicides following application to a roadside. Herbicides were applied on two occasions to a 16-m length of roadside and kerb edge. An automatic water sampler was used to collect run-off, draining to a single gulley pot, until 25 mm of rain had fallen. Samples were analysed for glyphosate, atrazine, diuron, oxadiazon and oryzalin, and peak concentrations were 650, 2210, 1810, 390 and 70 micrograms litre-1 respectively. Isoxaben was also applied, but concentrations in run-off were below the limit of detection (10 micrograms litre-1). Herbicide concentrations all followed a similar pattern of rapid decline throughout the first rain event following application, with the majority of loss occurring within the first 10 mm of accumulated rainfall, but compounds of high solubility and low Koc produced the highest peak concentrations. For those compounds of relatively low solubility and moderate Koc, application rate may be an influential factor in determining herbicide loss for these compounds. The percentage loss of the active substances applied differed between compounds, ranging from < 10% to 73%. The ecotoxicological significance of the results is discussed.

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“…If a TER is <10, for regulatory purposes further evaluation is required 8. The toxicity thresholds used in the calculations were atrazine 37 µg litre −1 ( Lemna 14‐day EC 50 ),9 diuron 15 µg litre −1 ( Lemna 7‐day EC 50 ) (Environmental Management of Agriculture (EMA) database described by Lewis and Tzilivakis10), isoxaben 1300 µg litre −1 ( Daphnia 48‐h LC 50 )9 and glyphosate 640 µg litre −1 (Algae 7‐day EC 50 ) 9…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Herbicide loss following application to a railway

Ramwell

Heather

Shepherd

2004

Pest Management Science

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Railways have been identified as a potential source of herbicides detected in surface and groundwaters, but there are few data to support this theory. Two studies were undertaken to investigate the fate of herbicides applied to railway trackbeds: a pilot study in a section of a disused, but intact, cutting where runoff and throughflow were sampled from trenches adjacent to the treated area, and a larger scale study on 0.75 km of embankment where surface water from the drainage ditch at the base of the embankment and groundwater were sampled. In the pilot study, peak concentrations of atrazine, diuron and glyphosate (1280, 210 and 15 microg litre(-1) respectively) were detected 6days after treatment (DAT). Oxadiazon, oryzalin and isoxaben were not detected above their limits of quantification. Lower concentrations were detected 81 DAT (10 and 0.8 microg litre(-1) of atrazine and glyphosate respectively). In the larger scale study, herbicides were not detected, in either the surface water or groundwater, at concentrations above the limit of detection that could be attributed to application to the railway. Rainfall volume and depth to sampling point may partly explain the different results obtained from the two studies. The findings are compared with herbicide losses from other 'hard surfaces'.

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The role of the EMA software in integrated crop management and its commercial uptake

Cited by 11 publications

References 6 publications

Pesticide residues on the external surfaces of field‐crop sprayers: environmental impact

Pesticide residues on the external surfaces of field‐crop sprayers: environmental impact

Herbicide loss following application to a roadside

Herbicide loss following application to a railway

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