- Objective Title:Analysing pesticide use in horticulture
- Objective Title:Pesticide effects: consumers, operators, environment
- Objective Title:Evaluation of PEMOSYS
8.6 - Pesticides
8.6.1
| Objective Title:Analysing pesticide use in
horticulture Research Leader: Dr A Tomkins Institution:The Horticulture and Food Research Institute of NZ Ltd. |
A PGSF (NSOF) funded project within HortResearch has developed a prototype system for assessing pesticide use and monitoring change towards sustainable crop protection methods. This PC-based, Pesticide Rating System (PRS), includes prototype databases for pesticide properties, pesticide toxicity to pest natural enemies and an extensive set of spray diaries from horticultural crops including kiwifruit, pipfruit, summerfruit and grapes. The software will be used to determine key sustainability factors, assess pesticide risk to consumers, operators and the environment. The project will analyse current pesticide use within four crop sectors to set benchmarks for monitoring progress, probably instepwise changes, towards more sustainable crop protection practices.
8.6.2
| Objective Title:Pesticide
effects: consumers, operators, environment Research Leader: Dr J Walker Institution:The Horticulture and Food Research Institute of NZ Ltd. |
Methods for assessing pesticide risk to consumers, operators and the environment need to be developed for the PRS (refer 8.6.1) to complete the development of risk/sustainability equations for each of these factors and for their integration into a single factor for each agrochemical input. This requires the collation of extensive and varied information for each agrochemical in addition to measure for environmental factors that are pertinent to New Zealand. This includes effects on key natural enemies and pesticide resistance management factors. This objective is linked to programme "Developing measures of sustainability for orchard systems", Objective 2 - Integrating and measuring sustainability practices, which will score the sustainability of other agronomic practices.
8.6.3
| Objective Title:Evaluation of PEMOSYS Research Leader: Dr P Holland Institution:The Horticulture and Food Research Institute of NZ Ltd. |
Aim: To evaluate the German expert monitoring systems, PEMOSYS, for prediction of pesticide residues in soil and water as adapted for use under New Zealand conditions, by:
- a version of the PEMOSYS expert system for personal computers suitable fordetailed evaluation and use in New Zealand (language conversion, appropriate expert rules and climate parameters); and
- PEMOSYS with degradation rate and soil absorption coefficients for up to six key herbicide and soils and carrying out preliminary validation of the system.
Contact for Enquiries
Farm Monitoring Programme Manager
Monitoring and Evaluation
MAF Policy
PO Box 2526
Wellington
NEW ZEALAND
Phone: +64 4 894 0623
Fax: +64 4 894 0741
Contact this person
