Before we begin to propose the adoption new and upcoming technologies as a solution to pesticide pollution. The first step is simply adopting good agricultural practices (GAPs) with regards to pesticide use.

What do I mean by that? Like what are GAPs and where can I get them from?

Even without implementing new pesticide formulations or technology, the use of pesticides can be optimised to reduce wastage, inefficiencies, and off-target effects. The best place to find GAPs is actually the webpage of any governmental agency in-charge of agriculture. In Singapore this is the SFA, in fact you can find the GAP for vegetable farms in this link:

https://www.sfa.gov.sg/docs/default-source/tools-and-resources/resources-for-businesses/gapvf.pdf

as well as how to apply for certification here:

https://www.sfa.gov.sg/food-farming/farming-initiatives/good-agricultural-practices

This is not an isolated example; the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) also has a similar site here:

https://www.ams.usda.gov/services/auditing/gap-ghp

But that being said, I know most of you aren’t actually going to click and read those links, so I’ll explain the relevant parts pertaining to pesticide use here in a generalised international context (i.e. not just specific to Singapore, where our stringent SFA regulations may not be representative of global norms).

For starters, when applying pesticides, you should plan its use in advance and assess any possible health or environmental risks.  Instructions from the pesticide manufacturer for recommended time, dosage, and frequency of application should be followed strictly. Additionally, personnel handling pesticides should be adequately trained to work safely and efficiently with pesticides, this includes knowledge of proper use of equipment and safe working practices. As well as be aware of the hazards and risks associated with exposure to the pesticide. This may sound like common sense, but in practice, many of such practices are not strictly adhered to because its more convenient and less thinking is involved (Figure 1). For example in part 4, we mentioned that farmers may be tempted to increase frequency and intensity of application to protect high value crops where aesthetics (e.g. fruits with bites or blemishes won’t sell well.) are a concern. However efficient use of pesticides minimises waste and build-up of resistance and thus saves costs in the long run.

Other less obvious GAPs include practices such as: avoiding spraying pesticides when wind speed is high (above 16 km/h) or when it is blowing toward sensitive or nontarget crops, dwellings, livestock, or water sources. Spray pressure also affects drift by influencing the size of spray droplets; higher pressure decreases droplet size and increases drift. Mobilization of pesticide residues can be further reduced by soil incorporation, tarping, or applying pesticides at night, when there is less heat and wind and often higher humidity, reduce volatilization. While it may not entirely eliminate the adverse effects of pesticides, these practices restrict movement of applied pesticides, mitigating the damage they can do.

In our next segment we’ll talk about new and interesting technologies that improve the efficiency of pesticide use or mitigate its adverse effects!