Toxicological risk assessment of mechanical-chemical vs. chemical weed control techniques in sugar beet in Germany using SYNOPS-GIS
IntroductionThe EU Farm to Fork strategy aims to reduce the use of pesticides and associated toxicological risks. However, the risks coming along with currently available alternatives to chemical weed control in sugar beet have not yet been evaluated. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determin...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2024-01-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Agronomy |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fagro.2023.1274703/full |
| _version_ | 1797362289733533696 |
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| author | Olga Fishkis Joern Strassemeyer Franz Pöllinger Christel Anne Roß Heinz-Josef Koch |
| author_facet | Olga Fishkis Joern Strassemeyer Franz Pöllinger Christel Anne Roß Heinz-Josef Koch |
| author_sort | Olga Fishkis |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | IntroductionThe EU Farm to Fork strategy aims to reduce the use of pesticides and associated toxicological risks. However, the risks coming along with currently available alternatives to chemical weed control in sugar beet have not yet been evaluated. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the toxicological risks to arthropods, aquatic and soil organisms caused by mechanical-chemical in comparison to conventional chemical weed control in sugar beet.Materials and methodsThe risk assessment was performed using SYNOPS-GIS, a process-based model calculating the environmental fate of pesticides and the exposure risk to arthropods, aquatic and soil organisms.Results and discussionOverall, broadcast spraying of conventional herbicides caused low to very low toxicological risks in most regions and years in Germany. Nevertheless, there were considerably higher risks to aquatic and soil organisms from conventional broadcast spraying in northern Germany than in other regions of Germany. With conventional herbicides, mechanical-chemical weed control reduced toxicological risks proportionally to the reduction in application amount. In contrast, band spraying of the new herbicide with the active ingredients foramsulfuron and thiencarbazone-methyl caused an aquatic risk as broadcast spraying with conventional herbicides, although the application rate was 120 times lower. This was due to high toxicity of both active ingredients of the new herbicide to water plants.ConclusionsNot only the application amount of herbicides but also environmental toxicity should be included in assessment approaches such as the EU “Harmonized Risk Indicator”. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T16:06:10Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1be3a30c7ada4560b6433596cb9198aa |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2673-3218 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T16:06:10Z |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Agronomy |
| spelling | doaj.art-1be3a30c7ada4560b6433596cb9198aa2024-01-08T05:49:07ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Agronomy2673-32182024-01-01510.3389/fagro.2023.12747031274703Toxicological risk assessment of mechanical-chemical vs. chemical weed control techniques in sugar beet in Germany using SYNOPS-GISOlga Fishkis0Joern Strassemeyer1Franz Pöllinger2Christel Anne Roß3Heinz-Josef Koch4Department of Agronomy, Institute of Sugar Beet Research, Goettingen, GermanyInstitute for Strategies and Technology Assessment, Julius Kühn-Institut, Kleinmachnow, GermanyInstitute for Strategies and Technology Assessment, Julius Kühn-Institut, Kleinmachnow, GermanyDepartment of System Analysis, Institute of Sugar Beet Research, Goettingen, GermanyDepartment of Agronomy, Institute of Sugar Beet Research, Goettingen, GermanyIntroductionThe EU Farm to Fork strategy aims to reduce the use of pesticides and associated toxicological risks. However, the risks coming along with currently available alternatives to chemical weed control in sugar beet have not yet been evaluated. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the toxicological risks to arthropods, aquatic and soil organisms caused by mechanical-chemical in comparison to conventional chemical weed control in sugar beet.Materials and methodsThe risk assessment was performed using SYNOPS-GIS, a process-based model calculating the environmental fate of pesticides and the exposure risk to arthropods, aquatic and soil organisms.Results and discussionOverall, broadcast spraying of conventional herbicides caused low to very low toxicological risks in most regions and years in Germany. Nevertheless, there were considerably higher risks to aquatic and soil organisms from conventional broadcast spraying in northern Germany than in other regions of Germany. With conventional herbicides, mechanical-chemical weed control reduced toxicological risks proportionally to the reduction in application amount. In contrast, band spraying of the new herbicide with the active ingredients foramsulfuron and thiencarbazone-methyl caused an aquatic risk as broadcast spraying with conventional herbicides, although the application rate was 120 times lower. This was due to high toxicity of both active ingredients of the new herbicide to water plants.ConclusionsNot only the application amount of herbicides but also environmental toxicity should be included in assessment approaches such as the EU “Harmonized Risk Indicator”.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fagro.2023.1274703/fulltoxicological riskweed controlsugar beetSYNOPSexposure toxicity ratioCONVISO |
| spellingShingle | Olga Fishkis Joern Strassemeyer Franz Pöllinger Christel Anne Roß Heinz-Josef Koch Toxicological risk assessment of mechanical-chemical vs. chemical weed control techniques in sugar beet in Germany using SYNOPS-GIS Frontiers in Agronomy toxicological risk weed control sugar beet SYNOPS exposure toxicity ratio CONVISO |
| title | Toxicological risk assessment of mechanical-chemical vs. chemical weed control techniques in sugar beet in Germany using SYNOPS-GIS |
| title_full | Toxicological risk assessment of mechanical-chemical vs. chemical weed control techniques in sugar beet in Germany using SYNOPS-GIS |
| title_fullStr | Toxicological risk assessment of mechanical-chemical vs. chemical weed control techniques in sugar beet in Germany using SYNOPS-GIS |
| title_full_unstemmed | Toxicological risk assessment of mechanical-chemical vs. chemical weed control techniques in sugar beet in Germany using SYNOPS-GIS |
| title_short | Toxicological risk assessment of mechanical-chemical vs. chemical weed control techniques in sugar beet in Germany using SYNOPS-GIS |
| title_sort | toxicological risk assessment of mechanical chemical vs chemical weed control techniques in sugar beet in germany using synops gis |
| topic | toxicological risk weed control sugar beet SYNOPS exposure toxicity ratio CONVISO |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fagro.2023.1274703/full |
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