Effect of surfactant application practices on the vertical transport potential of hydrophobic pesticides in agrosystems

Surfactants have the potential to modify the environmental behavior of hydrophobic pesticides leading to an enhanced or reduced mobility risk. This risk is often overlooked in registration procedures due to a lack of suitable methodologies to quantify the transport potential of pesticides with surfactants. In this study we present a novel methodology designed to study the surfactant facilitated transport of pesticides under controlled equilibrium and dynamic hydrologic conditions. Using this methodology, we investigated the risk of chlorpyrifos enhanced mobility for two common surfactant application practices in agrosystems: pesticide spraying and irrigation with waste water. With the dynamic experiments we showed that a single irrigation event with artificial reclaimed water containing the nonionic surfactant Triton X100 at a concentration of 15 mg/L reduced the leaching of chlorpyrifos by 20% while the presence of the same surfactant in the chlopyrifos spraying formulation reduced the leaching amount by 60%. However, in the first case 90% of the chlropyrifos fraction remaining in soil was retained in the upper 3 cm while in the second cas, 72% was transported to the bottom layers. The presence of Triton X100 in irrigation water or spraying formulation retards the leaching of chlorpyrifos but enhances its downward transport

Analysis and modelling of pesticides transfer and retention in farmed infiltrating ditches as a function of the different management stratégies

Les fossés agricoles sont des lieux préférentiels d’écoulement des pesticides à l’échelle du bassin versant depuis les parcelles agricoles vers les masses d’eau avales de surface et souterraines. Du fait de leur capacité de rétention ils sont réputés pouvoir exercer un pouvoir tampon pour limiter la dispersion des pesticides dans l’environnement. Les opérations d’entretien des fossés sont identifiées comme un moyen d’améliorer ce pouvoir tampon. Cependant, la connaissance du pouvoir tampon des fossés en fonction de leurs caractéristiques et de leur entretien est très limitée. L’objectif de ce travail est ainsi de quantifier l’impact des principales pratiques d’entretien sur l’évolution du pouvoir tampon d’une gamme de fossés infiltrants.La démarche suivie repose sur i) une caractérisation expérimentale de l’effet des principales pratiques d’entretien sur l’évolution des propriétés des fossés, ii) une analyse de l’influence de ces propriétés sur deux processus clé modulant la rétention des herbicides : la sorption et l’infiltration, iii) une exploration numérique, conçue sur la base des expérimentations, de l’effet de chaque pratique sur l’évolution annuelle du pouvoir tampon des fossés. Le dispositif expérimental a combiné des observations in situ à l’échelle du fossé élémentaire sur 3 bassins versants et des expérimentations au laboratoire et a concerné l’étude du comportement de 3 herbicides, glyphosate, diuron et isoproturon.Les résultats de ce travail ont mis en évidence que les opérations de brûlis, fauche et désherbage chimique améliorent le pouvoir tampon des fossés par rapport à un fossé non-entretenu alors que le curage le détériore. Ils ont aussi permis d’améliorer notre connaissance des propriétés et de la variabilité des matériaux formant les fossés, de proposer un nouvel indicateur de la capacité de rétention des fossés et d’évaluer des approches de modélisation de la rétention des pesticides par un bief de fossé infiltrant.By linking cropped fields to downstream groundwater and surface water bodies, farm ditches constitute preferential pathways for pesticide dispersal at the catchment scale. But thanks to their pesticide retention capacity ditches are known for buffering pesticide non-point source pollutions. Ditch management operations were identified as mean to improve ditch buffering capacities. However, little is known about how pesticide retention capacities of ditches vary as a function of ditch properties and management. Accordingly, the objective of this work is to quantify how pesticide retention capacity in a range of infiltrating ditches evolves subsequently to the main management operations.The methodology relies on i) an experimental characterization of the main management operation effects on the evolution of ditch properties, ii) an analysis of how these properties influence two key processes regulating herbicides retention: sorption and infiltration, iii) a numerical exploration, based on the previously mentioned experimentations, of each operation effects on the yearly evolution of pesticide retention capacity of ditches. The experimental design combined in situ observations at the reach scale on 3 catchments as well as laboratory experimentations and concerned the behavior of 3 herbicides, glyphosate, diuron and isoproturon.The results of this works highlighted the fact that burning, mowing and chemical weeding operations increase pesticide retention capacities of the ditches as compared to an unmanaged ditch while dredging deteriorates it. They also allowed us to improve our knowledge on ditch materials properties and variability, to propose a new indicator of ditch retention capacity and to evaluate different modelling approaches of pesticide retention by infiltrating ditches

Analyse et modélisation des transferts et de la rétention de pesticides dans les fossés agricoles infiltrants en lien avec les stratégies d’entretien

By linking cropped fields to downstream groundwater and surface water bodies, farm ditches constitute preferential pathways for pesticide dispersal at the catchment scale. But thanks to their pesticide retention capacity ditches are known for buffering pesticide non-point source pollutions. Ditch management operations were identified as mean to improve ditch buffering capacities. However, little is known about how pesticide retention capacities of ditches vary as a function of ditch properties and management. Accordingly, the objective of this work is to quantify how pesticide retention capacity in a range of infiltrating ditches evolves subsequently to the main management operations.The methodology relies on i) an experimental characterization of the main management operation effects on the evolution of ditch properties, ii) an analysis of how these properties influence two key processes regulating herbicides retention: sorption and infiltration, iii) a numerical exploration, based on the previously mentioned experimentations, of each operation effects on the yearly evolution of pesticide retention capacity of ditches. The experimental design combined in situ observations at the reach scale on 3 catchments as well as laboratory experimentations and concerned the behavior of 3 herbicides, glyphosate, diuron and isoproturon.The results of this works highlighted the fact that burning, mowing and chemical weeding operations increase pesticide retention capacities of the ditches as compared to an unmanaged ditch while dredging deteriorates it. They also allowed us to improve our knowledge on ditch materials properties and variability, to propose a new indicator of ditch retention capacity and to evaluate different modelling approaches of pesticide retention by infiltrating ditches.Les fossés agricoles sont des lieux préférentiels d’écoulement des pesticides à l’échelle du bassin versant depuis les parcelles agricoles vers les masses d’eau avales de surface et souterraines. Du fait de leur capacité de rétention ils sont réputés pouvoir exercer un pouvoir tampon pour limiter la dispersion des pesticides dans l’environnement. Les opérations d’entretien des fossés sont identifiées comme un moyen d’améliorer ce pouvoir tampon. Cependant, la connaissance du pouvoir tampon des fossés en fonction de leurs caractéristiques et de leur entretien est très limitée. L’objectif de ce travail est ainsi de quantifier l’impact des principales pratiques d’entretien sur l’évolution du pouvoir tampon d’une gamme de fossés infiltrants.La démarche suivie repose sur i) une caractérisation expérimentale de l’effet des principales pratiques d’entretien sur l’évolution des propriétés des fossés, ii) une analyse de l’influence de ces propriétés sur deux processus clé modulant la rétention des herbicides : la sorption et l’infiltration, iii) une exploration numérique, conçue sur la base des expérimentations, de l’effet de chaque pratique sur l’évolution annuelle du pouvoir tampon des fossés. Le dispositif expérimental a combiné des observations in situ à l’échelle du fossé élémentaire sur 3 bassins versants et des expérimentations au laboratoire et a concerné l’étude du comportement de 3 herbicides, glyphosate, diuron et isoproturon.Les résultats de ce travail ont mis en évidence que les opérations de brûlis, fauche et désherbage chimique améliorent le pouvoir tampon des fossés par rapport à un fossé non-entretenu alors que le curage le détériore. Ils ont aussi permis d’améliorer notre connaissance des propriétés et de la variabilité des matériaux formant les fossés, de proposer un nouvel indicateur de la capacité de rétention des fossés et d’évaluer des approches de modélisation de la rétention des pesticides par un bief de fossé infiltrant

Silvopasture: a sustainable livestock production system

International audienceSilvopasture, as an integrated land use practice that combines trees, forage and livestock, has been in existence for millennia. There are many variants of this land use in both the temperate and tropical regions of the world practiced at small and large scales. Modern silvopasture; however, is not just a new name for an old practice. It is rooted in sound ecological principles and demands skills in managing complexity. Scientific evidence of the ecological and economic benefits of silvopasture has been accumulating rapidly over the last few years and hence the objective of this thematic issue was to bring together a collection of original research and review articles that dealt with these different dimensions. There are 28 articles included in this thematic issue categorized into four groups based on their primary focus, (1) forage production and quality (2) livestock performance (3) environmental benefits, and (4) challenges in designing and developing silvopasture. The information presented has deepened our understanding of some of the biophysical and socioeconomic dimensions of silvopastoral systems; however, it also has revealed some of the research gaps. Addressing these research gaps will help improve not only the economic and environmental sustainability of these systems, but their social acceptability as well

Agroforestry for soil health

Healthy soil is one of the most critical resources for the health and sustainability of ecosystems, including agroecosystems. Although the agroforestry community has long been convinced of the soil health benefits of agroforestry practices, many of such practices remain to be fully accepted by the mainstream agriculture community. Agroforestry, as a sustainable land management practice, has shown solid evidence of its role in improving soil quality and health based on at least four decades of data gathered from the world over. This thematic issue presents 28 papers that add further to the body of knowledge to reaffirm that agroforestry can improve the major measurable soil metrics that define soil health. Collectively, these papers show that agroforestry has the ability to (1) enrich soil organic carbon better than monocropping systems, (2) improve soil nutrient availability and soil fertility due to the presence of trees in the system, and (3) enhance soil microbial dynamics, which would positively influence soil health. It is imperative that agroforestry, as part of a multifunctional land-use strategy, should receive increased attention in our policy discussion for the future of soil and soil health

Correction to: Agroforestry for soil health

Correction to: Agroforestry for soil healt

Application of mid-infrared spectroscopy to the prediction and specification of pesticide sorption: A promising and cost-effective tool

International audienceThe cocktail of pesticides sprayed to protect crops generates a miscellaneous and generalized contamination of water bodies. Sorption, especially on soils, regulates the spreading and persistence of these contaminants. Fine resolution sorption data and knowledge of its drivers are needed to manage this contamination. The aim of this study is to investigate the potential of Mid-Infrared spectroscopy (MIR) to predict and specify the adsorption and desorption of a diversity of pesticides. We constituted a set of 37 soils from French mainland and West Indies covering large ranges of texture, organic carbon, minerals and pH. We measured the adsorption and desorption coefficients of glyphosate, 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) and difenoconazole and acquired MIR Lab spectra for these soils. We developed Partial Least Square Regression (PLSR) models for the prediction of the sorption coefficients from the MIR spectra. We further identified the most influencing spectral bands and related these to putative organic and mineral functional groups. The prediction performance of the PLSR models was generally high for the adsorption coefficients Kdads (0.4 1.8). It was contrasted for the desorption coefficients and related to the magnitude of the desorption hysteresis. The most significant spectral bands in the PLSR differ according to the pesticides indicating contrasted interactions with mineral and organic functional groups. Glyphosate interacts primarily with polar mineral groups (OH) and difenoconazole with hydrophobic organic groups (CH2, C=C, COO-, CO , CO -C). 2,4-D has both positive and negative interactions with these groups. Finally, this work suggests that MIR combined with PLSR is a promising and cost-effective tool. It allows both the prediction of adsorption and desorption parameters and the specification of these mechanisms for a diversity of pesticides including polar active ingredients

Glyphosate sorption to soils and sediments predicted by pedotransfer functions

International audienceGlyphosate is the most applied herbicide for weed control in agriculture worldwide. Excessive application of glyphosate induces water pollution. The transfer of glyphosate to freshwater and groundwater is largely controlled by glyphosate sorption to soils and sediments. Sorption coefficients are therefore the most sensitive parameters in models used for risk assessment. However, the variations in glyphosate sorption among soils and sediments are poorly understood. Here we review glyphosate sorption parameters and their variation with selected soils and sediment. We use this knowledge to build pedotransfer functions that allow predicting sorption parameters, Kd, Kf and n, for a wide range of soils and sediments. We gathered glyphosate sorption parameters, 101 Kf, n and equivalent Kd, and associated soil properties. These data were then used to perform stepwise multiple regression analyses to build the pedotransfer functions. The linear (Kd) and Freundlich (Kf, n) pedotransfer functions were benchmarked against experimental data. We found the following major points: (1) Under current environmental conditions, sorption is best predicted by the Kd pedotransfer function. (2) The pedotransfer function is Kd = 7.20*CEC - 1.31*Clay + 24.82 (Kd in L kg(-1), CEC in cmol kg(-1) and clay in %). (3) Cation exchange capacity (CEC) and clay content are the main drivers of Kd variability across soils and sediments. Freundlich parameters are additionally influenced by pH and organic carbon. This suggests that the formation of complexes between glyphosate phosphonate groups and soil-exchanged polyvalent cations dominates sorption across the range of analyzed soils

Prédiction de la sorption du glyphosate et du diuron sur les sols et évaluation de la spécificité des sols de fond de fossés

National audienc