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Insecticides and agricultural pest control: The magnitude of its use in crops in some provinces of Ecuador

Abstract:

In agricultural pest control, insecticides represent the main available alternative. To analyze the magnitude of its use, 539 interviews to farmers were carried out considering the following crops: Cucurbitaceae: melon, Cucumis melo, and watermelon, Citrullus lanatus; Fabaceae: common bean, Phaseolus vulgaris; Solanaceae: potato, Solanum tuberosum, pepper, Capsicum annuum and tomato, Solanum lycopersicum, located in the provinces of Chimborazo, El Oro, Guayas, Loja and Santa Elena. Information was requested on important pests and type of management; if chemical pesticides were used, the following information was registered: Generic name, the active ingbkp_redient, acute toxicity, dosage, spraying frequency, waiting periods, and product mixture. All interviewed farmers expressed the use of insecticide mixtures, raising the recommended dosages without considering the waiting periods of each product. Additionally, farmers reported 2.6, 1.1, 0.5, 2.0, and 2.8 weekly aspersions for cucurbits (melon and watermelon), common bean, potato, pepper, and tomato, respectively. The main pests mentioned were: aphids (Hemiptera: Aphididae) in cucurbits and pepper, Liriomyza spp. (Diptera: Agromyzidae) in common bean, Premnotrypes vorax (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in potato and Prodiplosis longifila (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) in tomato. Approximately 80% of the insecticides used belong to Class I and II. The results indicated high spraying frequencies, high dosages and high toxicity for vertebrates with the insecticides used by farmers. Given the impact of insecticides, it is necessary to study imbalances in agroecosystems, effects on health, and also on the environment, as well as to validate more rational ecological and socio-economic alternatives.