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Agricultural Chemicals and the Environment

Agricultural Chemicals and the Environment

R E Hester | R M Harrison

(2016)

Additional Information

Abstract

Agricultural production is in a period of rapid transformation which has seen an increase in the use of biotechnology, synthetic chemistry, biological chemicals and biopesticides. These disciplines are integrated with improvements in application technology, digital farming and the use of big data. Whilst offering unique opportunities to reduce potential environmental impacts, these advances also raise new environmental concerns. This book provides an overview of the changes occurring in the agricultural industry, highlighting opportunities to address impacts and indicating potential barriers to adoption of the technology. This new edition has been updated to include the very latest in agricultural developments, including organic farming and genetically modified crops. It is of interest to students and academics, as well as farmers and landowners and those working in legislation.

Roy Harrison OBE is Queen Elizabeth II Birmingham Centenary Professor of Environmental Health at the University of Birmingham. In 2004 he was appointed OBE for services to environmental science. Professor Harrison’s research interests lie in the field of environment and human health. His main specialism is in air pollution, from emissions through atmospheric chemical and physical transformations to exposure and effects on human health. Much of this work is designed to inform the development of policy.

Ron Hester is an emeritus professor of chemistry at the University of York. In addition to his research work on a wide range of applications of vibrational spectroscopy, he has been actively involved in environmental chemistry and was a founder member of the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Environment Group. His current activities are mainly as an editor and as an external examiner and assessor on courses, individual promotions, and departmental/subject area evaluations both in the UK and abroad.

Table of Contents

Section Title Page Action Price
Cover Cover
Contents ix
Preface v
Editors xiii
List of Contributors xv
Integrating Technologies to Minimize Environmental Impacts 1
1 Introduction 1
2 Developments and Emerging Trends in the Crop Protection Industry 3
3 Improving the Sustainability of Crop Production 6
3.1 Improved Properties of Synthetic Pesticides 7
3.2 Emerging Technologies 7
3.3 Enhanced Application Technologies 10
3.4 Better Land Management 12
4 Role of Regulation in Technology Development 13
Acknowledgments 15
References 15
The Environmental Impact of Fertiliser Nutrients on Freshwater 20
1 Introduction 20
2 The Requirements and Utilisation of N and P by Different Crops 21
3 The Loss, Impact and Management of Fertiliser N and P from Land to Water 26
3.1 The Availability of Nutrient Sources to Loss 26
3.2 Pathways of Nutrient Loss 29
3.3 Attenuation 30
3.4 Processing of N and P in Freshwaters 32
3.5 Strategies to Mitigate N and P Losses 33
4 Future Directions and Research Gaps 35
Acknowledgments 38
References 38
Pesticides 45
1 Introduction 45
2 Pesticides and Terrestrial Wildlife 46
2.1 Introduction 46
2.2 Pesticide Use and Impacts on Terrestrial Biodiversity: Past and Present 47
2.3 Wildlife Protection Goals in Pesticide Regulation 48
2.4 Direct Effects 51
2.5 Indirect Effects 55
2.6 Pesticides and Protected Sites and Habitats 57
2.7 Conclusion 59
3 Pesticide Resistance 61
3.1 Introduction 61
3.2 Herbicide Resistance 61
3.3 Fungicide Resistance 63
3.4 Insecticide Resistance 65
3.5 Managing Resistance 66
4 Pesticides in Water 67
4.1 What Is the Issue? 67
4.2 Pesticide Movement to Water 70
4.3 Regulatory Control 76
4.4 Mitigation 78
4.5 Looking Ahead: Do We Have All the Answers? 83
Acknowledgments 84
References 84
Agroecology and Organic Farming as Approaches to Reducing the \r\nEnvironmental Impacts of Agricultural Chemicals 94
1 Introduction 95
2 What are Agroecology and Organic Farming? 95
2.1 Agroecology 95
2.2 Organic Farming 96
3 Typical Practices and Systems 98
3.1 What Role Does Chemistry Play in these Approaches? 98
3.2 Restricting Inputs or Redesigning Systems? 100
4 Performance of Agroecological Approaches Relative to Conventional Intensive Systems 101
4.1 Biodiversity 101
4.2 Resource Use and Emissions 102
4.3 Productivity 105
4.4 Financial Viability 107
5 Conclusions 109
Acknowledgments 109
References 109
Crop Biotechnology for Weed and Insect Control 114
1 Global Trends of GM Crop Adoption 114
2 Herbicide Tolerance 118
2.1 A Driver for Changing Agronomic Practices 118
2.2 Conservation Tillage Agriculture 118
2.3 Managing Resistance 119
3 Pest/Disease Resistance 120
3.1 Bt Genes and Toxins 120
3.2 Reduction in Insecticide Use 121
3.3 Evolution of Insect Resistance to Cry Toxins 122
4 What Does the Future Hold? 124
4.1 Regulatory Hurdles and Asynchronous Approvals 124
4.2 What is the Future for Crop Biotechnology? 125
References 126
Aquaculture 128
1 Aquaculture - A Modern Food Industry with a Long History 129
1.1 Our Seas and Oceans as a Source of Food 129
1.2 A Changing Landscape 131
1.3 A Long History 132
1.4 The Present Day 136
2 Challenges 137
3 The Use of Chemicals for Pest/Disease/Parasite Control 142
3.1 The Requirement to Use Pesticides 142
3.2 Sea Lice Treatments in Salmon Aquaculture 149
3.3 Non-salmonid Aquaculture 152
3.4 Anti-fouling Compounds 153
3.5 Disinfectants 157
4 Potential Impacts on the Environment and Non-target Species 157
5 Strategies to Reduce Chemical Usage 163
5.1 Testing the Products 163
5.2 Changes to Husbandry 163
5.3 Minimising Infection Pressure by Cooperation Between Farms within a Geographically Connected Area 165
5.4 Bioremediation 166
5.5 Using Natural Compounds which are Environmentally Benign 166
5.6 Improving the Host's Resistance to Disease 166
5.7 Natural Predators 167
6 Conclusions 169
Acknowledgments 169
References 169
Horticulture 176
1 Introduction 176
2 Overview 178
2.1 Fertilisers 178
2.2 Soil Health 179
2.3 Pests, Diseases and Weeds 180
2.4 Water Use and Water Quality 185
3 Case Studies 186
3.1 Case Study 1: Carrot Production in the UK 186
3.2 Case Study 2: Integrated Pest and Disease Management (IPDM) in Apple Orchards 192
4 Future Perspectives 209
5 Conclusion 210
Acknowledgments 210
References 210
Subject Index 215