ARS | Publication request: Evaluation of Management Practices to Mitigate Pesticide Transport and Ecological Risk of Runoff from Agricultural and Turf Systems

Submitted to: International Congress of Pesticide Chemistry Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: May 16, 2010
Publication Date: July 4, 2010
Citation: Rice, P.J., Horgan, B.P., Hapeman, C.J., Mcconnell, L.L., Rittenhouse, J.L. 2010. Evaluation of Management Practices to Mitigate Pesticide Transport and Ecological Risk of Runoff from Agricultural and Turf Systems [abstract]. International Congress of Pesticide Chemistry Abstracts. p. 57.

Technical Abstract: Highly managed biotic systems such as agricultural crops and golf courses often require multiple applications of pesticides that may be transported with runoff to surrounding surface waters. Pesticides have been detected in surface waters of rural and urban watersheds invoking concern of their source and environmental effects. Experiments were designed to quantify pesticides transported with runoff from fresh market vegetable production and turf maintained as a golf course fairway to evaluate the efficacy of management practices to mitigate chemical transport. Measured runoff volumes and chemical concentrations revealed reductions in chemical loads from tomatoes grown with vegetative mulch compared to polyethylene mulch and turf managed with hollow tine core cultivation and verticutting compared to solid tine core cultivation. A comparison of toxicological endpoints with estimated environmental concentrations of surface waters receiving the runoff demonstrates implementation of management practices can mitigate ecological risks of pesticides transported with runoff from managed biotic systems.