ISHS Acta Horticulturae 347: II International Symposium on Integrated Fruit Production
AN ENVIRONMENTAL YARDSTICK FOR PESTICIDES: AN INSTRUMENT TO MEASURE THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF PESTICIDES |
| Author: | J. Reus |
| Abstract:
It is often very hard for those involved in agriculture and horticulture to get hold of objective information concerning the harmful effects of pesticides and also to be able to compare the harmful effects of different chemical products. Similarly, it is also difficult to compare various farming methods with respect to their deleterious effects on the environment. Comparing only the amount of active ingredients used is in itself not satisfactory, as pesticides have different properties and therefore cause different ecological effects. For this reason the Centre for Agriculture and the Environment in Utrecht (Netherlands) has developed a "yardstick" by which pesticides can be better compared. This yardstick also provides a method of measuring the impact on the environment (the environmental burden) of a particular crop or of a specific farm. In this way farmers can compare their results regarding the environment with the results of colleagues and with results from preceding years. The yardstick has been tested with several groups of farmers. This year it will be introduced on a larger scale in the Netherlands, as an extension and management instrument for farmers. | |
Download Adobe Acrobat Reader (free software to read PDF files) | |
