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ARS Home » Midwest Area » St. Paul, Minnesota » Soil and Water Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #361319

Research Project: Developing Agricultural Practices to Protect Water Quality and Conserve Water and Soil Resources in the Upper Midwest United States

Location: Soil and Water Management Research

Title: Insecticide exposure risk for grassland wildlife on public land in Southwestern Minnesota

Author
item GOEBEL, KATELIN - University Of Minnesota
item DAVROS, NICOLE - Minnesota Department Of Natural Resources
item ANDERSEN, DAVID - Us Geological Survey (USGS)
item Rice, Pamela

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/23/2019
Publication Date: 2/19/2019
Citation: Goebel, K.M., Davros, N.M., Andersen, D.E., Rice, P.J. 2019. Insecticide exposure risk for grassland wildlife on public land in Southwestern Minnesota. Minnesotan Chapter of the Wildlife Society. February 19-21, 2019. Duluth, Minnesota.

Interpretive Summary: Acute toxicity to pesticides may be a greater threat to grassland birds than habitat loss and fragmentation. Insecticides, like chlorpyrifos, are used to combat soybean aphids even though they may be toxic to some non-target organisms including birds and pollinators. There is little information about insecticide drift and wildlife exposure risks in grasslands. Our goal is to assess direct and indirect exposure risks of grassland birds and their insect food resources to insecticides. Objectives include measuring chemical drift to assess wildlife’s risk of direct exposure to insecticides, and to evaluate indirect exposure and effects by measuring chemical residues on insect food resources and to compare insect abundance, richness, diversity and biomass before and after adjacent soybean fields are sprayed. Samples were collected along three transects with seven stations 0, 5, 25, 50, 100, 200, and 400 m from field edge. Filter papers were placed at each station at ground and mid-canopy levels to capture spray drift. Insect samples were collected by sweep-netting and vacuum sampling at 0, 5, and 25 m from field edge. Preliminary results show chlorpyrifos residues were present on filter paper samples at all study sites up to 400 m from the treated field edge. Insect samples revealed chlorpyrifos residues on samples up to 25 m from the treated field edge. The next step is to refine analyses by includingvariables related to weather, vegetation and spray application method. Our research will provide data for informed decision-making by landowners and managers, so they can design grasslands and riparian buffers that reduce impacts of chemical drift on wildlife.

Technical Abstract: Acute toxicity to pesticides may be a greater threat to grassland birds than habitat loss and fragmentation. Insecticides, like chlorpyrifos, are used to combat soybean aphids even though they may be toxic to some non-target organisms including birds and pollinators. There is little information about insecticide drift and wildlife exposure risks in grasslands. Our goal is to assess direct and indirect exposure risks of grassland birds and their insect food resources to insecticides. Objectives include measuring chemical drift to assess wildlife’s risk of direct exposure to insecticides, and to evaluate indirect exposure and effects by measuring chemical residues on insect food resources and to compare insect abundance, richness, diversity and biomass before and after adjacent soybean fields are sprayed. Samples were collected along three transects with seven stations 0, 5, 25, 50, 100, 200, and 400 m from field edge. Filter papers were placed at each station at ground and mid-canopy levels to capture spray drift. Insect samples were collected by sweep-netting and vacuum sampling at 0, 5, and 25 m from field edge. Preliminary results show chlorpyrifos residues were present on filter paper samples at all study sites up to 400 m from the treated field edge. Insect samples revealed chlorpyrifos residues on samples up to 25 m from the treated field edge. The next step is to refine analyses by including variables related to weather, vegetation and spray application method. Our research will provide data for informed decision-making by landowners and managers, so they can design grasslands and riparian buffers that reduce impacts of chemical drift on wildlife.