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Herbicide risk assessment during the Wheat Self‐sufficiency Project in Iran
Author(s) -
Deihimfard Reza,
Zand Eskandar,
Damghani Abdolmajid Mahdavi,
Soufizadeh Saeid
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
pest management science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.296
H-Index - 125
eISSN - 1526-4998
pISSN - 1526-498X
DOI - 10.1002/ps.1432
Subject(s) - mcpa , agroecosystem , mecoprop , environmental science , pesticide , context (archaeology) , agronomy , toxicology , glyphosate , biology , agriculture , ecology , paleontology
BACKGROUND: The present study describes the quantitative changes in herbicide use during the specific observation periods in the Wheat Self‐sufficiency Project in Iran from 1994 to 2004 and the associated changes in herbicide risk, area and yield in this context. A risk index, the environmental impact quotient (EIQ), was used to estimate the environmental impacts (EIs) of herbicides applied to wheat agroecosystems. RESULTS: The results suggest that, during this period, the overall risk posed by the herbicides applied to wheat agroecosystems increased substantially, as evidenced by a 71% increase in herbicide usage (weight of pesticide applied) and a 62.2% increase in EI rating, in spite of an 8.2% decrease in overall EIQ rating and an 89.2% decrease in mean application rate. Furthermore, a 0.57% increase in the area and a 23.6% and 22.7% increase in irrigated and rainfed yields, respectively, were observed. The results also indicate that the EIQ FUR of two herbicides, dichlorprop‐P/mecoprop‐P/MCPA and difenzoquat, is much higher than that of other herbicides, and they could be qualified as high‐risk herbicides. CONCLUSION: As a whole, an increase in herbicide usage (weight of pesticide applied) was an important factor on herbicide environmental impact boost. However, this increase has not led to a similar increase in wheat yield, which could be attributed in part to the negative impact of high herbicide consumption in wheat fields and subsequent threat to the long‐term sustainability of these agroecosystems. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry