Intensity and risk of chemical pesticides when cultivating sugar beet, silage maize and winter wheat in crop rotations

Corrigendum Im Artikel „Intensität und Risiko des chemischen Pflanzenschutzes beim Anbau von Zuckerrüben, Silomais und Winterweizen in Fruchtfolgen“ von Brauer-Siebrecht, W., Jacobs, A., Koch H.-J., Strassemeyer, J. und Märländer, B., der auf den Seiten 184-195, Ausgabe 70, Nr. 6 erschien, wurden Korrekturen in Abb. 3 vorgenommen. In Abb. 3 wurde eine vertikale Strich-Punkt-Linie ergänzt, die eine Abgrenzung zwischen den Umweltkompartimenten Feld und Saumbiotop bzw. Boden ermöglicht. Weiterhin wurde im oberen und unteren Teil der Abbildung die Risikotoleranzgrenze als horizontale gepunktete (nicht gestrichelte) Linie dargestellt. Zuletzt wurde innerhalb der Boxplots neben dem Median auch der Mittelwert – dargestellt durch eine gestrichelte Linie – ergänzt. Die Änderungen beeinträchtigen nicht die Schlussfolgerungen des Artikels. Zusammenfassung Der Einsatz chemischer Pflanzenschutzmittel dient zum einen der Sicherstellung des Ertrages, steht jedoch auch aufgrund von möglichen ökologischen Risiken in der Kritik. Der Nationale Aktionsplan zur nachhaltigen Anwen­dung von Pflanzenschutzmitteln zielt auf die Redu­zierung dieser Risiken ab. In der vorliegenden Studie wurden chemische Pflanzenschutzmaßnahmen in Feldversuchen in den Jahren 2011–2014 in den Fruchtfolgen Zuckerrüben-Winterweizen-Winterweizen, Silo­mais-Win­ter­weizen-Winterweizen, Silomais-Zuckerrüben-Winterweizen und Silomais im Daueranbau an zwei Standorten untersucht. Als Indikator der Intensität diente der „Behandlungsindex“, das Umweltrisiko wurde mit dem Simulationsmodell „SYNOPS“ für Stellvertreterorganismen in den Nichtziel-Kompartimenten „Oberflächengewässer“, „Saumbiotope“ und „Boden“ kalkuliert. Der Behandlungsindex variierte zwischen den Fruchtfolgen von 5,1 bis 20,6 und das Umweltrisiko wurde überwiegend als sehr niedrig bis mittel kalkuliert. Es existierte keine Korrelation zwischen der Intensität und dem Umwelt­risiko über die Fruchtfolgen. Silomais im Daueranbau hatte die geringste Intensität, jedoch war das Umwelt­risiko höher. Für Silomais und Winterweizen existierten herbizide und fungizide Wirkstoffe, für die ein nicht tolerables Umweltrisiko kalkuliert wurde. Konsequenzen für den Integrierten Pflanzenschutz ergeben sich unter anderem aus der Wahl weniger toxischer Wirkstoffe, einer Reduktion der Gesamtaufwandmenge und nicht-chemischer Maßnahmen, wie mechanische Unkraut­­regulierung oder resistente Sorten.  Corrigendum In the article „Intensity and risk of chemical pesticides when cultivating sugar beet, silage maize and winter wheat in crop rotations” by Brauer-Siebrecht, W., Jacobs, A., Koch H.-J., Strassemeyer, J. und Märländer, B., which was published on pages 184-195, issue 70, no. 6, corrections were made in Fig. 3. In Fig. 3 a vertical dashed/dotted line was added, which enables a distinction between the environment compartments field and ecoton and soil, respectively. Furthermore, the limit of risk tolerance is now shown as a horizontal dotted (not dashed) line in the upper and lower part of the figure. Finally, the mean was added within the box plots – shown as dashed line. This correction does not affect the conclusions of the paper. Abstract The use of chemical pesticides serves at reducing crop yield losses, but is also criticised because of possible ecological risks. The German national action plan on sustainable use of plant protection products aims at reduc­ing these risks. The current study investigated pesticide appli­cations on two sites in Germany in 2011–2014, comparing different crop rotations with sugar beet, silage maize and winter wheat as well as silage maize under continuous cultivation. The treatment index was used as an indicator for the pesticide application intensity. The environmental risk was calculated by the simulation model “SYNOPS” for reference orga­nisms in the non-target compartments “surface water”, “field margin biotope” and “soil”. The treatment index varied between crop rotations from 5.1 to 20.6 and the environmental risk was mostly calculated as very low to medium. No correlation between intensity and environmental risk of crop rotations was found. The lowest treatment index was calculated for silage maize in continuous cultivation, but, the environmental risk was higher. Some herbicidal and fungicidal active ingredients used in silage maize and winter wheat were identified for which non tolerable environmental risks were calculated. Consequences for the Integrated Pest Management result from the choice of active substances with lower toxicity, a reduction of the entire application rate and non-chemical measures like mechanical weed control or resistant varieties. &nbsp

Intensity and risk of chemical pesticides when cultivating sugar beet, silage maize and winter wheat in crop rotations

Der Einsatz chemischer Pflanzenschutzmittel dient zum einen der Sicherstellung des Ertrages, steht jedoch auch aufgrund von möglichen ökologischen Risiken in der Kritik. Der Nationale Aktionsplan zur nachhaltigen Anwen­dung von Pflanzenschutzmitteln zielt auf die Redu­zierung dieser Risiken ab. In der vorliegenden Studie wurden chemische Pflanzenschutzmaßnahmen in Feldversuchen in den Jahren 2011–2014 in den Fruchtfolgen Zuckerrüben-Winterweizen-Winterweizen, Silo­mais-Win­ter­weizen-Winterweizen, Silomais-Zuckerrüben-Winterweizen und Silomais im Daueranbau an zwei Standorten untersucht. Als Indikator der Intensität diente der „Behandlungsindex“, das Umweltrisiko wurde mit dem Simulationsmodell „SYNOPS“ für Stellvertreterorganismen in den Nichtziel-Kompartimenten „Oberflächengewässer“, „Saumbiotope“ und „Boden“ kalkuliert. Der Behandlungsindex variierte zwischen den Fruchtfolgen von 5,1 bis 20,6 und das Umweltrisiko wurde überwiegend als sehr niedrig bis mittel kalkuliert. Es existierte keine Korrelation zwischen der Intensität und dem Umwelt­risiko über die Fruchtfolgen. Silomais im Daueranbau hatte die geringste Intensität, jedoch war das Umwelt­risiko höher. Für Silomais und Winterweizen existierten herbizide und fungizide Wirkstoffe, für die ein nicht tolerables Umweltrisiko kalkuliert wurde. Konsequenzen für den Integrierten Pflanzenschutz ergeben sich unter anderem aus der Wahl weniger toxischer Wirkstoffe, einer Reduktion der Gesamtaufwandmenge und nicht-chemischer Maßnahmen, wie mechanische Unkraut­­regulierung oder resistente Sorten.The use of chemical pesticides serves at reducing crop yield losses, but is also criticised because of possible ecological risks. The German national action plan on sustainable use of plant protection products aims at reduc­ing these risks. The current study investigated pesticide appli­cations on two sites in Germany in 2011–2014, comparing different crop rotations with sugar beet, silage maize and winter wheat as well as silage maize under continuous cultivation. The treatment index was used as an indicator for the pesticide application intensity. The environmental risk was calculated by the simulation model “SYNOPS” for reference orga­nisms in the non-target compartments “surface water”, “field margin biotope” and “soil”. The treatment index varied between crop rotations from 5.1 to 20.6 and the environmental risk was mostly calculated as very low to medium. No correlation between intensity and environmental risk of crop rotations was found. The lowest treatment index was calculated for silage maize in continuous cultivation, but, the environmental risk was higher. Some herbicidal and fungicidal active ingredients used in silage maize and winter wheat were identified for which non tolerable environmental risks were calculated. Consequences for the Integrated Pest Management result from the choice of active substances with lower toxicity, a reduction of the entire application rate and non-chemical measures like mechanical weed control or resistant varieties

Life-threatening hypersplenism due to idiopathic portal hypertension in early childhood: case report and review of the literature

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Idiopathic portal hypertension (IPH) is a disorder of unknown etiology and is characterized clinically by portal hypertension, splenomegaly, and hypersplenism accompanied by pancytopenia. This study evaluates the pathogenic concept of the disease by a systematic review of the literature and illustrates novel pathologic and laboratory findings.</p> <p>Case Presentation</p> <p>We report the first case of uncontrolled splenic hyperperfusion and enlargement with subsequent hypersplenism leading to life-threatening complications of IPH in infancy and emergent splenectomy.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our results suggest that splenic NO and VCAM-1, rather than ET-1, have a significant impact on the development of IPH, even at a very early stage of disease. The success of surgical interventions targeting the splenic hyperperfusion suggests that the primary defect in the regulation of splenic blood flow seems to be crucial for the development of IPH. Thus, beside other treatment options splenectomy needs to be considered as a prime therapeutic option for IPH.</p

Silage Maize and Sugar Beet for Biogas Production in Rotations and Continuous Cultivation: Dry Matter and Estimated Methane Yield

Since silage maize is the main crop grown for biogas production (biomass crop) in Germany; its increasing cultivation is critically discussed in terms of social and agronomical aspects. To investigate if sugar beet is suitable as an alternative biomass crop to silage maize; three-year field trials with both biomass crops in rotations with winter wheat (food crop) and continuous cultivation were conducted at three highly productive sites. Dry matter (DM) yield per hectare was measured via field trials whereas methane yield per hectare was estimated via a calculation. Higher annual DM yield was achieved by silage maize (19.5–27.4 t∙ha−1∙a−1) compared to sugar beet root (10.7–23.0 t∙ha−1∙a−1). Dry matter yield was found to be the main driver for the estimated methane yield. Thus; higher estimated methane yield was produced by silage maize (6458–9388 Nm3∙ha−1) with overlaps to sugar beet root (3729–7964 Nm3∙ha−1). We; therefore; classify sugar beet as a suitable alternative biomass crop to silage maize; especially when cultivated in crop rotations with winter wheat. Additionally; we found that the evaluation of entire crop rotations compared to single crops is a more precise approach since it includes rotational effects

ADORA2A Gene Variation, Caffeine, and Emotional Processing: A Multi-level Interaction on Startle Reflex

There is converging evidence for genetic, biochemical, and neuropsychological factors to increase the risk for anxiety and anxiety disorders. The pathogenesis of anxiety disorders is assumed to be influenced by a complex interaction of these individual risk factors on several levels, affecting intermediate phenotypes of anxiety such as the startle reflex. Thus, in the present double-blind, placebo-controlled study we attempted to paradigmatically investigate a multi-level pathogenetic model of anxiety by testing the effect of 300 mg caffeine citrate as an antagonist at the adenosine A2A receptor vs placebo on the emotion-potentiated (unpleasant, neutral, and pleasant International Affective Picture System pictures) startle reflex in 110 healthy individuals (male=56, female=54) stratified for the adenosine A2A receptor (ADORA2A) 1976T>C polymorphism (rs5751876). In addition to the expected main effect of picture category (highest startle amplitude for unpleasant, lowest for pleasant pictures) groups across all ADORA2A 1976T>C genotype and intervention (caffeine vs placebo) groups, an interaction effect of genotype, intervention, and picture category was discerned: In ADORA2A 1976TT risk genotype carriers, highest startle magnitudes were observed after caffeine administration in response to unpleasant pictures, with this effect arising particularly from the female subgroup. Our data point to a complex, multi-level, and potentially gender-specific pathogenetic model of anxiety, with genetic and biochemical factors interactively increasing the risk of maladaptive emotional processing and thereby possibly also anxiety disorders. The present findings may eventually aid in improving primary and secondary prevention by sharpening the risk profiles of anxiety-prone individuals