Title: ECOLOGICAL EFFICIENCY OF SUSTAINABLE USE OF PESTICIDES IN INTEGRATED APPLE PRODUCTION IN CROATIA
Abstract: The intensification of agricultural production with the increased application of pesticides in the last fifty years has had a negative impact on human health and the environment. In order to improve agricultural production within the concept of sustainability, importance of integrated production is being growing. The integrated agricultural production is based on a balanced application of agro-technical measures, in order to provide food safety and environmental protection. This form of agricultural production include economic, environmental and toxicological approaches. Ecological and toxicological measures have an advantage within the similar economy performance. According to Directive 2009/128 / EC integrated pest management is accepted as the standard in the European Union. Thus, each member of the EU makes its own National Action Plan for the sustainable use of pesticides. Croatian fruit integrated production follows the integrated crop production. The major part of integrated fruit production is production of apples under 1, 348 ha. This research include samples of integrated produced apples from different geographical areas of the continental and Mediterranean parts of Croatia. Apple fruits samples were analyzed on residues of pesticides during the two-year professional supervision. The majority of the samples contained pesticide residues or had them within allowed doses. The most common active ingredient found were: boscalid, acetamiprid, pyraclostrobin, methoxyfenozide and trifloxystrobin. Recorded toxicity was not harmful for human health although their toxicity is partly expressed in water, less in the soil. Deviation in application of pesticides were identified in Međimurje and Zagreb County in 2013, and during 2014 in the Brodsko-posavska County. In all other areas applied allowed plant protection products and their dosages did not deviate. Results of this research confirm the beneficial effect of sustainable use of pesticides on the environment (soil, water) and food safety (public Health).
Publication Year: 2015
Publication Date: 2015-01-01
Language: en
Type: article
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