OPERATIONAL STUDY OF DRONE SPRAYING APPLICATION OF PHYTOSANITARY PRODUCTS IN VINEYARDS

The use of drones in topics related to precision agriculture to improve the efficiency in the application of phytosanitary products to vineyards increases every day. Drones are especially productive in difficult orographic terrains, where other mechanical systems such as tractors cannot be used. This study shows the development and implementation of a methodology to determine key parameters to decide the suitability of a drone to a spraying task (i.e. spraying time for a certain parcel, number or tank refills required), taking into account the technical specifications of a certain commercial model. For the validation, the data of a vineyard belonging to the Rías Baixas appellation of origin (NW Spain) and the technical specifications of drones from three different manufacturers (i.e. DJI, Hylio and Yamaha) are used. Results show that the Hylio AD122 with a phytosanitary tank of 22 L provides the best performance, with a productivity around 6 minutes per hectare. Keywords: drone spraying; vineyard; precision agriculture; aerial works

Rotation/Succession Systems Affects Springtails (Hexapoda: Collembola) Abundance in Cash Crops Under No Tillage Cultivation

Acknowledging the bio indicator importance of springtails (Hexapoda: Collembola) for soil quality, this study aimed to determine the abundance of these arthropods in different systems of rotation/succession with commercial and cover crops, while also verifying the agricultural factor associated to these arthropods’ population. In the Instituto de Desenvolvimento Rural do Paraná (IAPAR-EMATER), during six years, areas with differing crops in rotation/succession adopting the no-tillage system were studied. For each system, chemical analyses of the soil were conducted and the number of captured springtails in pitfall traps was counted. The phytosanitary products applied during the evaluations and the quantity of vegetal cover remaining after harvest were considered as well. No difference was found between the rotation/succession systems in relation to chemical soil attributes, however the largest number of springtails was found in crop covers from corn, Brachiaria sp., and canola. These crop covers, including wheat, resulted in the highest straw dry mass. When removing the system in which the predecessor crop had the highest quantities of fungicide application, a positive correlation (r = 0.63; p < 0.01) was found, between springtail abundance and highest amount of straw after the harvest. If no fungicide applications occur, the crops with the largest amount of vegetal cover favor springtail populations.

Assessment of the contamination of Lactuca sativa L. (lettuce) and Lycopersicon esculentum (tomato) by pesticides: Case of market gardeners in Ouagadougou

Background and Aim: The use of pesticides in vegetable production can cause public health problems because these agrochemicals can leave residues in foodstuffs and disrupt the appropriate functioning of the organism. The aim of this study was to assess the level of contamination of lettuce and tomato by pesticide residues. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted from February 12 to May 3, 2021, in concerned five market gardening sites in the city of Ouagadougou. A survey was conducted among 58 market gardeners selected at random from the sites of Boulmiougou, Tanghin No. 1 and 2, Bissigin, and the National School of Public Health. Simultaneously, 25 lettuce samples and 25 tomato samples were collected in a randomized manner for the examination and determination of pesticide residues using the quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe method. Results: The market gardening population was predominantly represented by women who had a low level of education. The cultivated species were a mixture of exotic cultures and traditional cultures. These crops were treated with various pesticides, the most common of which belonged to the organochlorine family. The tomato was the crop most contaminated by pesticide residues. However, no active ingredient from the synthetic pyrethroid family was found on lettuce or tomato. Conclusion: Raising the awareness of market gardeners on good practices in the use of pesticides and on alternative methods to synthetic phytosanitary products is of paramount importance for the health of consumers.

Quality of self-propelled sprayers through periodic inspection

The inspection of agricultural sprayers is a vital tool for the increment of quality of spray technology for phytosanitary products. The objective of this work was to evaluate the performance conditions of self-propelled sprayers on-farm, using the periodical inspection methodology for sprays and analyzing the climatic conditions during the spraying. The evaluations were carried on farms visited randomly. A questionnaire was filled out by the operator or farmers and the inspection itself of the sprayers. The items evaluated were the condition and location of hoses, presence of leaks, monitor performance, spacing between nozzles, spray nozzles, in-line filter, primary filter, the performance of anti-dripping gauges, and limiting environmental conditions. Most interviewed operators and farmers did not know the methodology for inspecting agricultural sprayers, demonstrating the need to create specific training programs in the region. Self-propelled sprayers have a few technical problems when they were new, however, spraying beyond the ideal weather conditions can reduce the spraying quality.

Inventory: The pesticides application and its risk assessment in the irrigated perimeter of Tadla-Morocco

The industrialization of the agricultural sector increases the use of pesticides, which are composed of chemical substances, such as herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, acaricides, nematicides, and rodenticides, that are adapted to the control of undesirable plants and animals. All these phytosanitary products have varying degrees of toxicity, which risks human life. This study aimed to make an inventory of the pesticides used in the irrigated perimeter of Beni Moussa and Beni Aamir in the Beni Mellal-Khenifra region. The data collection through questionnaires took place between January and February 2016 and covered all the study areas. The questionnaires are focused on the mode of packaging management, sale and purchase of pesticides. The results demonstrated the existence of different pesticides and active substances used for crop protection in the region. Among 63 molecules, 14 active substances were detected, where the active substances are not approved by the world health organization, which considers it as carcinogenic substances. During phytosanitary treatments by farmers, these active substances come into direct contact with the soil, presenting a permanent risk to the environmental compartments, including groundwaters.

Antiviral Activity of Ribosome-Inactivating Proteins

Ribosome-inactivating proteins (RIPs) are rRNA N-glycosylases from plants (EC 3.2.2.22) that inactivate ribosomes thus inhibiting protein synthesis. The antiviral properties of RIPs have been investigated for more than four decades. However, interest in these proteins is rising due to the emergence of infectious diseases caused by new viruses and the difficulty in treating viral infections. On the other hand, there is a growing need to control crop diseases without resorting to the use of phytosanitary products which are very harmful to the environment and in this respect, RIPs have been shown as a promising tool that can be used to obtain transgenic plants resistant to viruses. The way in which RIPs exert their antiviral effect continues to be the subject of intense research and several mechanisms of action have been proposed. The purpose of this review is to examine the research studies that deal with this matter, placing special emphasis on the most recent findings.

The profile and knowledge of pesticides of growers from Abaetetuba (PA)

Inadequate application of phytosanitary products in agricultural production can be the result of a number of factors, from the low level of education of the applicators to the lack of training regarding the correct application of chemical pesticides. Thus, this work explored the reality of a group olericulture producers in Colônia Nova, community of Abaetetuba (PA). The methodology organized the data based on responses to a questionnaire, with structured and closed questions answered by rural owners in order to help trace the profile of pesticide applicators at that location. Among the results obtained, there was a low level of education among producers and the production of crops of condiment and leafy plants, led by scallions, cabbage, lettuce and chicory. Among the categories of pesticides used by farmers, insecticides were the most used, followed by fungicides and herbicides. No interviewed owner participated in any training for specific work with pesticides and they were also unaware of any institution that could carry out this type of training. An on-site assessment revealed that, in relation to the use of PPE, with the exception of gloves and waterproof boots, the other items were just ordinary, everyday clothes, inappropriate for this activity. Therefore, this research demonstrated the difficulty faced by the farmers of Colônia Nova, mainly due to the low level of education that prevented them from knowing the safety and legal aspects regarding the use of agricultural pesticides, the triple washing and the correct destination of empty pesticide packaging.

QUALITY CONTROL OF PNEUMATIC SPRAYING IN TOMATO

Tomato is a vegetable of great importance on the national scene. One of the problems of this culture is the great susceptibility to attack by pests and diseases. Thus, one of the most used practices is chemical control with phytosanitary products. The objective of this study was to evaluate the technical parameters of pneumatic spraying in tomato culture, through the study of the volumetric index and the population of spray droplets, aiming to reduce the spray volume, obtain the best efficiency and the social and environmental safety of the applications. The study of the droplet population was performed using water-sensitive paper labels. These labels were placed in the canopies of the tomato plants at three different heights and two positions. The sprays were made using a pneumatic backpack sprayer. After applying the syrup (dye + water), the water-sensitive paper labels were collected and subjected to the coverage and droplet density analyses by the computer program “CIR” version 1.5. The pneumatic sprayer proved to be efficient for the application of phytosanitary products in the tomato. The percentage of the target covered area ranged from 2.1 to 8.3% for volumetric indices as a function of thirds and positions, whereas the density of droplets ranged from 145.4 to 690.1 drops cm-2 for thirds and positions of the tomato plants evaluated. Finally, the volumetric index of 5 mL m-3, with a consequent spray volume of 50 L ha-1, met the parameters of a quality spray.

NIVEAU DE CONTAMINATION DUNE EAU DE SURFACE PAR LES PRODUITS PHYTOSANITAIRES: CAS DE LA RETENUE DEAU DU BASSIN VERSANT DE LA LOBO(CENTRE-OUEST DE LA COTE DIVOIRE)

The Lobo is the source of drinking water for SODECI in the department of Daloa. The strong agricultural activity around it can lead to the dissipation of phytosanitary products into the environment. However, the transfer of pesticide residues from agricultural plots to this aquatic environment is little studied or even non-existent. The objective of this work is to determine the state of contamination of the Lobo River by phytosanitary products. The HPLC assays were carried out on water samples taken at the exit of the agricultural plots (upstream) and in the Lobo (downstream). These analyzes revealed the presence of residues of pesticides such as glyphosate, mancozeb 2,4-D and lambda-cyhalothrin at various concentrations. Indeed, at the exit of the agricultural plots (upstream) and in the Lobo (downstream), the average concentrations detected were respectively 0.89µg / L to 0.35 µg / L for glyphosate, 0.81µg / L at 0.38 µg / L for mancozeb, 0.5 µg / L at 0.39 µg / L for 2,4-D, and 0.06 µg / L at 0.02 µg / L for lambda-cyhalothrin. However, these values are higher than the international standard (WHO) which is 0.1µg / L at the exit of the plantations and in the waters of the Lobo except the values ​​of 2,4-D.