Long-Term Effects of Pesticides and Herbicides on Soil and Environment

A special issue of Agriculture (ISSN 2077-0472). This special issue belongs to the section "Agricultural Soils".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (25 May 2023) | Viewed by 6071

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Soil Science Department, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119991, Russia
Interests: pesticides risk assessment; soil amendment; soil microorganisms diversity; land-use management; agricultural soils

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Pesticides have been one of the most widely used chemical groups in the world in recent decades. Despite the obvious positive aspects, primarily the fight against famine by obtaining a higher crop yield, the risk of the negative impact of pesticides on the environment also remains possible. Some pesticides can accumulate in the soil, migrate to ground and surface waters, and also have a toxic effect on non-target groups of organisms—from microorganisms to mammals. In addition, the long-term use of pesticides from the same group can lead to a decrease in their effectiveness due to the adaptation of pests or weeds. Therefore, this is absolutely vital to understanding how long-term pesticide application might affect the sustainable agri-food production in an environmentally friendly way.

This Special Issue focuses on the assessment of the long-term effects of pesticide application on biodiversity, soil health and minimizing environmental load. This issue will include inter- and trans-disciplinary studies from multiple disciplines (e.g., agricultural sciences, biology, environmental sciences, data science) for a comprehensive analysis of the stated topic. The use of simulation models for predicting the behavior of pesticides in the environment in the study would also be welcome. This Special Issue invites original research, as well as reviews and opinions.

Dr. Mikhail Maslov
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • pesticides
  • plant protection products
  • risk assessment
  • behavior of pesticides in soil and water
  • pesticide toxicity
  • pesticide pollution
  • sustainable land-use
  • biodiversity
  • soil health
  • environmental quality

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 2817 KiB  
Article
Effects of the Pesticides Benomyl, Metribuzin and Imidacloprid on Soil Microbial Communities in the Field
by Rostislav Streletskii, Angelika Astaykina, Vladimir Cheptsov, Andrey Belov and Victor Gorbatov
Agriculture 2023, 13(7), 1330; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13071330 - 29 Jun 2023
Viewed by 1077
Abstract
Pesticide preparations based on benomyl, metribuzin and imidacloprid were used on a potato plot for three years. Every year soil samples were taken at 0, 7, 14, 28, 56 and 84 days after treatment. For all samples, the pesticide residues in the soil [...] Read more.
Pesticide preparations based on benomyl, metribuzin and imidacloprid were used on a potato plot for three years. Every year soil samples were taken at 0, 7, 14, 28, 56 and 84 days after treatment. For all samples, the pesticide residues in the soil were measured. A study of the soil’s bacterial and fungal community structures was preformed using next-generation sequencing. It was found that the rate of decomposition of the pesticides increased every year, while the pesticides affected only certain phylogenetic groups of microorganisms. The most significant effect was the decrease in the proportion of Ascomycota. Additionally, in the field, as well as previously in the laboratory, pesticides have had an impact on the relative abundance of the genera Haliangium, Solicoccozyma and Humicola. It can be assumed that the repeated application of pesticides does not have a significant effect on the microbial communities of soils, provided that they are applied according to the application rate. Full article
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16 pages, 11602 KiB  
Article
Identifying the Best Herbicides for Weed Control in Chicory (Cichorium intybus)
by Angelika Astaykina, Sergey Elansky, Evgeniy Kubarev, Daniil Semeniushkin, Irina Smirnova, Elena Chudinova, Vladimir Demin, Alexander Nikolaev and Sergey Shoba
Agriculture 2023, 13(6), 1152; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13061152 - 30 May 2023
Viewed by 1784
Abstract
Chicory (Cichorium intybus) is a commercially cultivated root crop in many countries of the world. Weeds have a depressing effect on the growth and development of root chicory. There are currently no herbicides registered for use on chicory in the Russian [...] Read more.
Chicory (Cichorium intybus) is a commercially cultivated root crop in many countries of the world. Weeds have a depressing effect on the growth and development of root chicory. There are currently no herbicides registered for use on chicory in the Russian Federation. The objective of this work was to identify potential herbicides for controlling a broad range of weed species under the soil and climatic conditions of the Russian Federation. For the field experiment, herbicides were selected according to: (1) previous studies in USA, EU and South Africa; (2) the spectrum of weeds controlled; and (3) the probability of crop damage. All the herbicides used were registered in Russia for the control of certain weeds in other crops. Crop biomass, damage, and weed control were assessed to identify suitable herbicides. The results suggested that the best weed control herbicides would be a Zeta, SC (100 g/L imazethapyr) and Paradox, SC (120 g/L imazamox). These herbicides controlled, on average, 80% or more of the dicotyledonous weeds such as lamb’s quarters (Chenopodium album), field pennycress (Thlaspi arvense), and sow thistles (Sonchus spp.). Since these herbicides do not reduce chicory biomass, they can be considered for registration or use on chicory. Full article
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22 pages, 3201 KiB  
Article
Chili Pepper Farmers’ Pesticide Use and Residues under Thailand’s Public Good Agricultural Practices Standard: A Case Study in Chiang Mai Province
by Yuichiro Amekawa, Surat Hongsibsong, Nootchakarn Sawarng and Girma Gezimu Gebre
Agriculture 2023, 13(5), 1105; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13051105 - 22 May 2023
Viewed by 2791
Abstract
This multi-level study focuses on Thailand’s public good agricultural practices certification standard (Q-GAP) and compares the performance of 100 certified and 229 uncertified growers regarding their pesticide use practices and the levels of pesticide residues detected in on-farm samples. Chili pepper, a crop [...] Read more.
This multi-level study focuses on Thailand’s public good agricultural practices certification standard (Q-GAP) and compares the performance of 100 certified and 229 uncertified growers regarding their pesticide use practices and the levels of pesticide residues detected in on-farm samples. Chili pepper, a crop primarily marketed domestically, was the focal point of this study conducted in the production context of Chiang Mai province. The data for the study were collected through field interview surveys and chili pepper sample collections. The collected crop samples underwent organophosphate pesticide and synthetic pyrethroid analyses using gas chromatography. Statistical analysis techniques, including one-way ANOVA, chi-square tests, probit regression, and multiple linear regression, were employed to analyze the numerical data using the Stata software. The study’s findings revealed several key points. The certified farmers’ main motivation for adopting Q-GAP was to meet market requirements, rather than ensuring safety assurance. They exhibited a significantly lower adoption of insecticides compared to the uncertified farmers, but no significant differences were observed for fungicide or herbicide adoption. The analysis of the pesticide residue results yielded mixed findings, making it challenging to conclude whether certified farmers have better control over pesticide residues compared to uncertified farmers. A probit regression analysis highlighted the critical importance of training for growers’ adoption of the standard. Full article
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