Pesticide Use and Management in the Mekong Delta and their Residues in Surface and Drinking Water

Pesticides are essential inputs in agricultural production to control target pests and thus to improve crop yields. Appropriate use and management of these chemicals and reduction of its negative influences on human health and the environment are global concerns. In the Mekong Delta, Vietnam, an area which contributes more than 90% to the country’s rice exports, pesticides have been increasingly applied since the so called Doi Moi (renovation). In this present study, two representative areas were selected to conduct different studies related to 1) pesticide use and management at household level, 2) resulting residue concentrations in surface water in fields and irrigation canals, 3) treatment practices of surface water for the purpose of drinking, and 4) pesticide concentrations in drinking water derived from surface water. One study area is characterized by intensive rice cultivation in Tam Nong District, Dong Thap Province, while the second area was selected as a representative for a peri-urban site mixed agricultural production pattern in Cai Rang District, Can Tho City. Surveys and monitoring campaign were carried out from August 2008 to August 2009. Survey results indicated that a majority of respondent farmers improperly used and managed pesticides. The study found that organochlorine and organophosphorus pesticides were less used while several pesticide groups such as pyrethroid, conazole, biopesticide and amide were being frequently applied. Half of investigated pesticides belong to moderately and slightly hazardous categories according to WHO hazard classification. 12 out of 15 studied pesticides (buprofezin, butachlor, cypermethrin, difenozonazole, α-endosulfan, β-endosulfan, endosulfan-sulfate, fenobucarb, fipronil, hexaconazole, isoprothiolane, pretilachlor, profenofos, propanil and propiconazole) were quantified in surface water in fields and irrigation canals, with average concentrations ranging from 0.02 to 3.34 μg/L and from 0.01 to 0.37 μg/L at the intensive rice cultivation and mixed agricultural production areas, respectively. Monitoring of pesticide residues in drinking water quantified seven out of 15 studied pesticides, with average concentrations ranging from 0.01 to 0.47 μg/L. The study also revealed that aluminium sulfate and boiling practice, frequently applied to treat surface water for drinking by respondent farmers, unfortunately could not remove the most of studied pesticides from drinking water. Consequently, as compared to European Commission guideline values for drinking water local people were exposed to several pesticides which might pose their health at risk. The present study provides and discusses possibly measures in order to improve pesticide management practices as well as to decrease pesticide inputs into water ecosystems and thus reduce the exposure of (rural) people to these potentially harmful chemicals

Aplicación de enmiendas orgánicas y biochars derivados de la industria oleícola en el cultivo del arroz: influencia en la dinámica de plaguicidas y en propiedades agronómicas

La presencia de plaguicidas procedentes de cultivos en aguas subterráneas y superficiales es hoy día un hecho constatado y de creciente preocupación. El riesgo de contaminación se agrava cuando el empleo de plaguicidas es continuado y más aún cuando se trata de zonas de monocultivos en los que se aplica inundación, como es el caso del arroz. El uso de productos fitosanitarios en el cultivo de arroz supone un escenario de alto riesgo, que da lugar a numerosos episodios de contaminación de aguas con los problemas que esto conlleva para la salud pública y el medio ambiente. Numerosos estudios ponen de manifiesto las ventajas del uso de enmiendas orgánicas para evitar pérdidas de herbicidas por escorrentía o por lixiviación. La aplicación de enmiendas supone un aumento considerable del contenido en materia orgánica del suelo, favoreciendo en muchos casos la adsorción de plaguicidas y de metabolitos derivados de la degradación parcial del mismo. Entre los residuos sólidos empleados como enmiendas orgánicas, los procedentes de almazara han sido previamente aplicados al olivar obteniéndose resultados muy positivos. Sin embargo, existen pocos estudios sobre su posible aplicación a cultivos de arroz. El objetivo de este trabajo ha sido evaluar el efecto que la adición al suelo de residuos orgánicos derivados de la industria oleícola, compostados y/o tras un proceso de pirolisis (obtención de biochar), ejerce en la dinámica de diferentes plaguicidas utilizados en el cultivo del arroz bajo condiciones de inundación. Asimismo, se ha estudiado el efecto de dichas enmiendas sobre las propiedades edáficas y sobre el rendimiento del cultivo. Con tal fin, se realizaron ensayos en condiciones controladas de laboratorio así como en condiciones reales de campo. Entre los resultados más relevantes de este proyecto, podemos destacar el efecto positivo observado de la enmienda con compost de alperujo sobre el aparato fotosintético de las plantas de arroz, el cual se tradujo en un aumento significativo de la producción. En cuanto a la caracterización y selección de enmiendas para su aplicación en cultivos de arroz, se comprobó que uno de los factores más influyentes en la retención de los plaguicidas aplicados es el área superficial específica que muestren dichas enmiendas así como su materia orgánica soluble. La producción de biochars a partir del compost de alperujo permitió un aumento muy significativo de dicha superficie específica, el cual se tradujo en una mayor retención de algunos de los plaguicidas estudiados. A su vez, pudimos establecer relaciones entre el comportamiento de dichos compuestos en el suelo y las características de la materia orgánica soluble procedente de las enmiendas aplicadas, así como con la propia composición mineral de los suelos estudiados. De ese modo, se han obtenido una serie de conclusiones para cada uno de los compuestos estudiados bajo condiciones de inundación, pudiéndose establecer un uso recomendado de cada uno de los plaguicidas y enmiendas estudiadas

Water Management for Sustainable Food Production

The agricultural community is face with the challenge of increasing food production by more than 70% to meet demand from the global population increase by the mid-21st century. Sustainable food production involves the sustained availability of resources, such as water and energy, to agriculture. The key challenges to sustainable food production are population increase, increasing demands for food, climate change, climate variability, and decreasing per capita land and water resources. To discuss more details on (a) the challenges for sustainable food production and (b) mitigation options available, a Special Issue on “Water Management for Sustainable Food Production” was assembled. This Special Issue focused on issues such as irrigation using brackish water, virtual water trade, allocation of water resources, consequences of excess precipitation on crop yields, strategies to increase water productivity, rainwater harvesting, irrigation water management, deficit irrigation, fertilization, environmental and socio-economic impacts, and irrigation water quality. The articles in the Special Issue cover several water-related issues across the U.S., Asia, Middle East, Africa, and Pakistan concerning sustainable food production. The articles in this Special Issue highlight the substantial impacts on agricultural production, water availability, and water quality in the face of increasing demands for food and energy

XVI Agricultural Science Congress 2023: Transformation of Agri-Food Systems for Achieving Sustainable Development Goals

The XVI Agricultural Science Congress being jointly organized by the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (NAAS) and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) during 10-13 October 2023, at hotel Le Meridien, Kochi, is a mega event echoing the theme “Transformation of Agri-Food Systems for achieving Sustainable Development Goals”. ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute takes great pride in hosting the XVI ASC, which will be the perfect point of convergence of academicians, researchers, students, farmers, fishers, traders, entrepreneurs, and other stakeholders involved in agri-production systems that ensure food and nutritional security for a burgeoning population. With impeding challenges like growing urbanization, increasing unemployment, growing population, increasing food demands, degradation of natural resources through human interference, climate change impacts and natural calamities, the challenges ahead for India to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set out by the United Nations are many. The XVI ASC will provide an interface for dissemination of useful information across all sectors of stakeholders invested in developing India’s agri-food systems, not only to meet the SDGs, but also to ensure a stable structure on par with agri-food systems around the world. It is an honour to present this Book of Abstracts which is a compilation of a total of 668 abstracts that convey the results of R&D programs being done in India. The abstracts have been categorized under 10 major Themes – 1. Ensuring Food & Nutritional Security: Production, Consumption and Value addition; 2. Climate Action for Sustainable Agri-Food Systems; 3. Frontier Science and emerging Genetic Technologies: Genome, Breeding, Gene Editing; 4. Livestock-based Transformation of Food Systems; 5. Horticulture-based Transformation of Food Systems; 6. Aquaculture & Fisheries-based Transformation of Food Systems; 7. Nature-based Solutions for Sustainable AgriFood Systems; 8. Next Generation Technologies: Digital Agriculture, Precision Farming and AI-based Systems; 9. Policies and Institutions for Transforming Agri-Food Systems; 10. International Partnership for Research, Education and Development. This Book of Abstracts sets the stage for the mega event itself, which will see a flow of knowledge emanating from a zeal to transform and push India’s Agri-Food Systems to perform par excellence and achieve not only the SDGs of the UN but also to rise as a world leader in the sector. I thank and congratulate all the participants who have submitted abstracts for this mega event, and I also applaud the team that has strived hard to publish this Book of Abstracts ahead of the event. I wish all the delegates and participants a very vibrant and memorable time at the XVI ASC