The FOOTPRINT software tools: pesticide risk assessment and management in the EU at different spatial scales.

Original paper can be found at: http://www.ask-eu.com/default.asp?Menue=149&AnbieterID=586 [Full text of this paper is not available in the UHRA]In the EU-project FOOTPRINT three pesticide risk assessment and management tools were developed, for use at different spatial scales. The three FOOTPRINT tools share the same underlying science, based on the consistent identification of environmental characteristics driving the fate of agriculturally applied pesticides and their interpretation to parameterise state of the art modelling applications thus providing an integrated solution to pesticide risk assessment and management in the EU

Intercomparison of Flow and Transport Models Applied to Vertical Drainage in Cropped Lysimeters

Models predicting flow and transport in the vadose zone differ in their conceptual approach, their complexity, and their mathematical formulation. Four models ( MARTHE, TRACE, ANSWERS, and MACRO), which differ significantly in their model concepts and complexity, were applied to a common data set to evaluate and compare the different model approaches. Five free-draining lysimeters, cropped with winter wheat, barley, and oat were used to monitor actual evapotranspiration soil moisture, and drainage for 627 d. One of the five lysimeters was also treated with methabenzthiazuron (MBT), and soil residues as well as leaching were experimentally determined. In Europe, MBT has been commonly used as a herbicide for almost 30 years. Generally, the use of given model inputs is recommended, apart from plant parameters, which need calibration. The use of validation criteria revealed proper simulation of water flow for the four models. After calibration, the Richards' equation - based models MARTHE, TRACE, and MACRO performed better for water flow predictions than the capacity-based ANSWERS. A small amount of preferential flow, which is not included in the model structures of MARTHE, TRACE, and ANSWERS, did not influence the simulation of water flow significantly. But preferential flow was associated with the leaching of 0.0059% of the mass of MBT, causing relevant concentrations in the leachate. Leaching could be described well with MACRO after calibration. The difficulty of estimating parameters for modeling macropore transport is seen as an obstacle to common application

FOOTPRINT, an EU project for pesticide risk assessment and management.

FOOTPRINT was a research project in the 6th Framework Programme which developed a suite of three pesticide risk prediction and management tools, for use by three different end-user communities: - farmers and extension advisors at the farm scale; - water managers at the catchment scale; and - policy makers/registration authorities at the national/EU scale. The tools were based on state-of-the-art knowledge of processes, factors and landscape attributes influencing pesticide fate in the environment and integrate innovative components that allow users to: - identify the dominant contamination pathways and sources of pesticide contamination in the landscape; - estimate pesticide concentrations in local groundwater resources and surface water abstraction sources; - make scientifically-based assessments of how the implementation of mitigation strategies will reduce pesticide contamination of adjacent water resources. The three tools share the same overall philosophy and underlying science and therefore provide a coherent and integrated solution to pesticide risk assessment and risk reduction at the various scales. The tools developed within FOOTPRINT allow stakeholders to make consistent and robust assessments of risk of contamination to water bodies relevant to management, mitigation and regulation (i.e. field/farm, catchment and national/EU). In particular, they allow pesticide users to assess whether their pesticide practices ensure the protection of local water bodies, and provide site-specific mitigation recommendations. The FOOTPRINT tools are expected to make a direct contribution to the revision of the Council Directive 91/414/EEC, the implementation of the Water Framework Directive and the future Thematic Strategy on the Sustainable Use of Pesticides.Non peer reviewe

Developing functional tools for pesticide risk assessment and management at various scales in Europe: the EU project FOOTPRINT

FOOTPRINT was a research project in the 6th Framework Programme which developed a suite of three pesticide risk prediction and management tools, for use by three different end-user communities: - farmers and extension advisors at the farm scale; - water managers at the catchment scale; and - policy makers/registration authorities at the national/EU scale. The tools were based on state-of-the-art knowledge of processes, factors and landscape attributes influencing pesticide fate in the environment and integrate innovative components that allow users to: - identify the dominant contamination pathways and sources of pesticide contamination in the landscape; - estimate pesticide concentrations in local groundwater resources and surface water abstraction sources; - make scientifically-based assessments of how the implementation of mitigation strategies will reduce pesticide contamination of adjacent water resources. The three tools share the same overall philosophy and underlying science and therefore provide a coherent and integrated solution to pesticide risk assessment and risk reduction at the various scales. The tools developed within FOOTPRINT allow stakeholders to make consistent and robust assessments of risk of contamination to water bodies relevant to management, mitigation and regulation (i.e. field/farm, catchment and national/EU). In particular, they allow pesticide users to assess whether their pesticide practices ensure the protection of local water bodies, and provide site-specific mitigation recommendations. The FOOTPRINT tools are expected to make a direct contribution to the revision of the Council Directive 91/414/EEC, the implementation of the Water Framework Directive and the future Thematic Strategy on the Sustainable Use of Pesticides.Non peer reviewe

Le projet européen FOOTPRINT – vers des outils d'évaluation et de gestion du risque pesticides à différentes échelles

FOOTPRINT was a research project in the 6th Framework Programme which developed a suite of three pesticide risk prediction and management tools, for use by three different end-user communities: - farmers and extension advisors at the farm scale; - water managers at the catchment scale; and - policy makers/registration authorities at the national/EU scale. The tools were based on state-of-the-art knowledge of processes, factors and landscape attributes influencing pesticide fate in the environment and integrate innovative components that allow users to: - identify the dominant contamination pathways and sources of pesticide contamination in the landscape; - estimate pesticide concentrations in local groundwater resources and surface water abstraction sources; - make scientifically-based assessments of how the implementation of mitigation strategies will reduce pesticide contamination of adjacent water resources. The three tools share the same overall philosophy and underlying science and therefore provide a coherent and integrated solution to pesticide risk assessment and risk reduction at the various scales. The tools developed within FOOTPRINT allow stakeholders to make consistent and robust assessments of risk of contamination to water bodies relevant to management, mitigation and regulation (i.e. field/farm, catchment and national/EU). In particular, they allow pesticide users to assess whether their pesticide practices ensure the protection of local water bodies, and provide site-specific mitigation recommendations. The FOOTPRINT tools are expected to make a direct contribution to the revision of the Council Directive 91/414/EEC, the implementation of the Water Framework Directive and the future Thematic Strategy on the Sustainable Use of Pesticides.Non peer reviewe

The EU project FOOTPRINT: functional tools for pesticide risk assessment and management at various scale.

FOOTPRINT was a research project in the 6th Framework Programme which developed a suite of three pesticide risk prediction and management tools, for use by three different end-user communities: - farmers and extension advisors at the farm scale; - water managers at the catchment scale; and - policy makers/registration authorities at the national/EU scale. The tools were based on state-of-the-art knowledge of processes, factors and landscape attributes influencing pesticide fate in the environment and integrate innovative components that allow users to: - identify the dominant contamination pathways and sources of pesticide contamination in the landscape; - estimate pesticide concentrations in local groundwater resources and surface water abstraction sources; - make scientifically-based assessments of how the implementation of mitigation strategies will reduce pesticide contamination of adjacent water resources. The three tools share the same overall philosophy and underlying science and therefore provide a coherent and integrated solution to pesticide risk assessment and risk reduction at the various scales. The tools developed within FOOTPRINT allow stakeholders to make consistent and robust assessments of risk of contamination to water bodies relevant to management, mitigation and regulation (i.e. field/farm, catchment and national/EU). In particular, they allow pesticide users to assess whether their pesticide practices ensure the protection of local water bodies, and provide site-specific mitigation recommendations. The FOOTPRINT tools are expected to make a direct contribution to the revision of the Council Directive 91/414/EEC, the implementation of the Water Framework Directive and the future Thematic Strategy on the Sustainable Use of Pesticides.Non peer reviewe

The FOOTPRINT Software Tools : Pesticide Risk Assessment and Management in the EU at different spatial scales

FOOTPRINT was a research project in the 6th Framework Programme which developed a suite of three pesticide risk prediction and management tools, for use by three different end-user communities: - farmers and extension advisors at the farm scale; - water managers at the catchment scale; and - policy makers/registration authorities at the national/EU scale. The tools were based on state-of-the-art knowledge of processes, factors and landscape attributes influencing pesticide fate in the environment and integrate innovative components that allow users to: - identify the dominant contamination pathways and sources of pesticide contamination in the landscape; - estimate pesticide concentrations in local groundwater resources and surface water abstraction sources; - make scientifically-based assessments of how the implementation of mitigation strategies will reduce pesticide contamination of adjacent water resources. The three tools share the same overall philosophy and underlying science and therefore provide a coherent and integrated solution to pesticide risk assessment and risk reduction at the various scales. The tools developed within FOOTPRINT allow stakeholders to make consistent and robust assessments of risk of contamination to water bodies relevant to management, mitigation and regulation (i.e. field/farm, catchment and national/EU). In particular, they allow pesticide users to assess whether their pesticide practices ensure the protection of local water bodies, and provide site-specific mitigation recommendations. The FOOTPRINT tools are expected to make a direct contribution to the revision of the Council Directive 91/414/EEC, the implementation of the Water Framework Directive and the future Thematic Strategy on the Sustainable Use of Pesticides.Peer reviewe