The use and monitoring of PESTICIDES in Estonia Künnis-Beres... · Republic of Estonia . ... 6655 7060 spiroxamine 1723 3082 chlorothalonil 795 376 tebuconazole 11198 13357 ... Plant

The use and monitoring of PESTICIDES in Estonia Kai Künnis-Beres National Institute of Chemical Physics and Biophysics Akadeemia tee 23, Tallinn, Estonia [email protected]

Population (1 January 2014) 1,315,819

Population density 30 inhabitants per 1 km² (based on the mainland area) Total area 45,227 km²

Average daily annual mean +6.8 °C temperature (in 2013) in January -5.2 °C in July +17.7 °C

Republic of Estonia

Agriculture in re-independent Estonia

After the restoration of independence, there were big changes in agriculture – land reform, restitution and privatisation of lands, collapse of the Soviet large farms, abandonment of agricultural area, restoration of farms. A large generation of land owners emerged instead of a small number of large farms (collective and state farms) in both rural and urban areas. Some of the lands were sold from one owner to another, some were rented out and some remained out of use.

Number of holdings 2001–2010

There were 19 613 agricultural holdings in Estonia in 2010. Compared to the 2001 Agricultural Census, the number of holdings has decreased almost threefold.

Due to the disappearance of small holdings, the average size of holdings by agricultural area has increased in Estonia from 16 hectares to 48 hectares per holding, exceeding the EU average (14 ha) already threefold (Figure 1)

In Estonia there are also 133 very large holdings with the agricultural area of at least 1,000 hectares and they have in their possession almost a quarter (24%) of the whole agricultural area.

AGRICULTURAL CENSUS 2010. Published by Statistics Estonia, Tallinn 2012

Figure 1.


In 2010, there were 102 holdings of legal persons in Estonia that belonged to foreign owners. The number of holdings belonging to Finnish owners was the largest – 31. Holdings in Estonia are also owned by owners from Austria, Denmark, United Kingdom, Ireland, Sweden and some other countries. Foreignowners also own 6% of cattle, 40% of pigs and 76% of poultry in Estonia. In case of pig and poultry farming, all the foreign owners are from Finland.


New trend – foreign owners

On the contrary to the quickly decreasing number of holdings, the number of organic holdings is increasing. In 2010 about 68% of that was grassland which corresponds also to the structure of organic livestock farming.

Organic crop farming



Rape and turnip rape

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 Utilised agricultural land total 931,8 948,8 946,0 955,9 965,9

Arable land 596,4 645,1 632,4 620,5 632,1

Cereals 316,4 275,3 297,0 290,5 311,1

Rape and turnip rape 82,1 98,2 89,0 87,1 86,1

Potatoes 9,1 9,4 9,2 7,6 6,6

Open-field vegetables 2,8 2,8 3,0 2,9 2,8

Permanent grassland 195,4 187,2 162,8 191,5 218,6

Land not used for agricultural production but maintained in good agricultural and environmental condition

131,9

109,4 143,8 137,1 108,4

Utilised agricultural land, 2009–2013 (thousand hectares)

Põllumajandus arvudes. 2013. Agriculture in Figures. (2014). Tallinn: Statistikaamet.

The distribution of intensive agricultuture in Estonia

Nitrate Vulnerable Zone

Areas of intensive agricultuture, %:

Consumption of pesticides in Estonia

• Usage of pesticides was high in the end of the 80ies, (over 2000 tons of active substances annually), 2/3 of those were herbicides.

• Consumtion decreased rapidly since 1991 (Figure 4).

Consumption of pesticides in Estonia (2)

OTHERS INSECTiCIDES FUNGICIDES HERBICIDES

tons

, act

ive

subs

tanc

e

Soviet period Independent Estonian Republic

Figure 4. Consumption of pesticides in Estonia 1950-1999.

Insecticides Growth regulators

Fungicides Desicans

Seeds treatment chemicals Herbicides

form

ulat

ions

, ton

s

Figure 5. Consumption of pesticides in Estonia 1997-2010.

HERBICIDES 2009 2010 kg/active substance

2,4-D 6 096 2 241 2,4-D 2-EHE 12 030 6 842 amidosulfuron 1 060 889 dicamba 3 501 3 772 glyphosate 214 701 283 858 MCPA 59 645 79 591 metazachlor 5 744 14 573 napropamide 7 061 6 655

TOTAL 327 222 422 553

Herbicides Total volumes sold in 2009 and 2010


Import and sale of pesticides in Estonia

Source: National Pesticide Registry, Feb 2012

FUNGICIDES 2009 2010 kg/active substance

epoxiconazole 1110 1349 fenpropimorph 2744 3278 mancozeb 6290 6806 propamocarb 2 0 propamocarb hydrochloride

6655 7060

spiroxamine 1723 3082 chlorothalonil 795 376 tebuconazole 11198 13357

TOTAL 37633 45604

Fungicides Total volumes sold in 2009 and 2010


INSECTICIDES

2009 2010 kg/active substance

alfa-cypermethrin 441 763

cypermethrin 0 214

TOTAL 15325 19203

Insecticides Total volumes sold in 2009 and 2010


• Data about consumption of pesticides is gathered by the Board of Statistics. The database reflects the amounts used in agriculture while those used in maintenance of railways and highways are not reflected.

• The Board of Statics collects data based on amounts of ready mixtures, The Board of Agriculture keeps data on amounts sold that are based on the active substance.

Consumption of pesticides in Estonia (1)

Estonian legislation (1)

1. Plant Protection Act

2. Training programmes of plant protection and requirements for obtaining plant protection certificates and procedure for issuing of certificates

3. Requirements for Use of Highly Toxic Plant Protection Products and for Plan of and Report on Use of Highly Toxic Plant Protection Products

• Requirements for use and holding of Plant Protection Products

• The procedure for the regular inspection of Plant Protection Equipment

• The safety requirements for the use, cleaning, maintenance and storage of Plant Protection Equipment

• The quantities of samples taken from plants, plant products, other objects and plant protection products, and the procedure for the taking thereof.

• The Methods for taking samples to determine residues

of Plant Protection Product in Food

• Statutes of the Register of Plant Protection

Estonian legislation (2)

Estonian Ministry of Agriculture ...is working to ensure that high-quality and environmentally safe fertilisers and plant protection products, high-quality seeds, as well as healthy plants free from pests are produced and used in Estonia. The important objective of the Ministry is to ensure a safe crop production and living environment. To achieve this goal, the Ministry develops national legislation and development plans and measures and participates in the European Union legislation implementation in Estonia.

The Agricultural Research Centre conducts field and laboratory tests, prepares fertiliser and lime consumption cards, carries out research in the field of good agricultural practices and agricultural chemistry.

The activities of the Ministry and its area of government in cropping are coordinated by the Plant Health Department.

The surveillance of plant health, plant protection products, seed and vegetative propagation material and organic plant production is organised by the Agricultural Board.

The monitoring of the organic processing, catering and marketing is managed by the Veterinary and Food Board.

The Agricultural Research Centre (ARC) is a state agency where is consolidated laboratories, field testing centers and departments carrying out different agri-environmental tasks.

The Agricultural Research Centre

The main activities The main activities of the ARC are

field tests and experiments, laboratory analyses (pesticide residues and

other contaminants in plant materials and in soils, plant pest diagnoses, agrochemical analyses of soil and fertilizers, microbiological analyses of plant production, seed quality testing ect.),

preparing liming and fertilizing maps, good agricultural practices and agro-chemistry

researches, etc

Agricultural Research Bureau The task includes:

Agrochemical research in the field of efficient use of fertilisers, plant nutrients balance and maintaining of soil fertility

Agri-ecological research Research in the field of yield and quality of

crop production Research in the field of organic crop

husbandary

Soil Monitoring Bureau The task includes:

Monitoring of soils Mapping and analysing the characteristics of

soils Development of agricultural GIS-databases Preparing fertilizing and liming maps Monitoring and evaluation of the Estonian

Rural Development Plan

ORGANIC FARMING IN ESTONIA 2013

Photo from Aleksander Kaasik

Organic farming or ecological agriculture is such an agricultural production method, which places a strong emphasis on environmental protection and ecological balance.

Organic farming (1)

Organic farming (2) This includes cropping and livestock farming, beekeeping and aquaculture. Organic products can be used both for food and feed. Strict rules apply to organic agriculture in terms of plant production and livestock farming, also processing, catering and marketing.

nitrogen fertilisers are not used; , disease and pest control relies primarily on

preventive natural methods or mechanical methods; crop rotations are practiced, resistant

varieties are grown, useful predators that eat pests are encouraged;

modified organisms (GMOs) are not used;

biodiversity is preserved and enhanced as much as possible.

What is organic farming?

Organic Farming Department …organising the supervision of requirements perfomance follow from Estonian Organic Farming Act and Europa Union regulations in organic farming area.

Main tasks of the Organic Farming Department: - Authorisation of organic farming enterprises; - Assessment the risks in organic farming; - Planning and co-ordination of control in organic farming; - Assessment the quality of professional control; - Keeping of the Organic Farming Register

Organic Farming Act Passed 20.09.2006RT I 2006, 43, 327

Entry into force 01.01.2007

1. Estonian organic farming action plan 2007-2013 For the development of the Estonian organic farming prepared The Estonian Organic Farming Development Plan 2007–2013 prepared by The Ministry of Agriculture was aimed to strengthen the competitiveness of organic farming in Estonia, increase the market share and ensure the availability of local organic food to consumers. 2. Estonian organic farming action plan 2014-2020 The development plan for the financial period from 2014–2020 has been completed in the middle of 2014.

Strategic documents Organic farming (3)

Research Centre of Organic Farming …is an interdisciplinary centre in order to bring together different organic farming and food studies in Estonian University of Life Sciences and to initiate further activities. Main activities: - Research of organic food and agriculture; - Promotion and education in that field; - Investigation of different organic plant production

technologies and their influence on soil and plant health, production quality and biodiversity;

- to develop a network for experiments in organic producers’ fields;

- to introduce organic principles in different levels, starting from kindergartens

By 2013 organic land (153 426 ha) was about 16.3% of all agricultural land in use, with 1 553 organic producers. Within a year (2013), more than 400 new domestic organic products appeared on food counters in Estonia. Nine of Estonia’s largest organic farms have over 1000 hectares of land.

Organic farming (3)

Estonia is placing third in the EU and among the first five in Europe for the share of organic agricultural land.

Estonian Ministry of Agriculture

Figure 7. Area of organic land 1999–2013, ha

Figure 8. Number of organic farms 1999–2013

Figure 9.

Control Organic farming has strict inspection systems. In Estonia, the state’s inspection system was implemented in 2001, and the supervision of organic farm production became the responsibility of the Plant Production Inspectorate, while food and feed processing, and marketing (incl. importing) became the responsibility of the Veterinary and Food Board.


MONITORING

The order of the Minister of the Environment No 49 from 9 September 2010 states the permitted limit values for herbicides:

– Alachlorine EQS 0.7 g/l – Atrasine EQS 2.0 g/l – Chloropyriphos EQS 0.1 g/l – Isoproturone EQS 1.0 g/l – Diurone EQS 1.8 g/l – Enosulphane EQS 0.01 g/l – Trifluraline not applied

Pesticides monitored in the surface water

The state monitoring programme for rivers includes data on pesticides since 2003. As a rule two samples were taken after rainfall. In 2003-2008 the substances measured were • Cypermetrin, • Cyproconazole, • MCPA, • Metamidophos, • Peropiconazole, • Trifluaraline. In the monitored rivers residues of the abovelisted pesticides were not detected.

River monitoring programme (1)

• In 2010 a more thorough investigation including 47 substances was carried out in four stations (Räpu-Arkma , Rägina-Kirna, Jänojõgi and Velise-Valgu) but all findings were below the detection limits.

• In 2011 the study covered three stations (Räpu, Rägina and Jänijõgi) with 7 pesticides in each (Dimetoate, Oxadixyle, Tiaclopride, 2,4-D EHE, Glyphosate, kloromekvatechloride and AMPA).


During the whole period of 2003 to 2011 there has been only one finding – in the automatic station of Rägina-Kirna 0,0001 mg/l of 2,4-D was found on 30 August 2010.

• In 2011 a study on meeting the requirements of EP and Council Directive 2008/105/EC included 17 priority substances. Only residues of AMPA were found in the mouths of 19 rivers.


Monitoring station on the Rägina main ditch

• Hydrochemical river monitoring is carried out in this automatic station as well.

The territory of the catchment area is 21.1 sq.km and the length of the investigated river section is 11 km.

• 2007: detection limits were exceeded by oxadiyl, procymidone,heptachlor and cis-heptachlorepoxide

• 2008 and 2009: oxadixyle • 2010: DMST, bentasone, oxadixyle, and traces of

imidachlopride, karbendasine and spiroxamine, but environmental standards were not exceeded.

• 2011: no findings of herbicides were recorded, but metabolite B and N.N- dimetylensulfamide were not measured.

Findings in ground water (NVZ)*

* Nitrate Vulnerable Zone (NVZ) of Adavere-Pandivere.

Thus it can be concluded, that compared to other countries, pesticide contamination in Estonian surface water bodies and ground water is not a problem yet.

48 48

Soil monitoring

Figure 11. Soil monitoring stations.

Pesticide residues in soil: In the framework of soil monitoring, pesticide residues

were analyzed in agricultural soils of 118 fields: no residues (35 samples); one residue (43 samples); more than one residue (40 samples);

In general, the sum of residues in the sampled soils did not exceed the permitted limit value;

In 2011, the sum of pesticide residues exceeded the permitted limit value in 2 samples;

The most determined active ingredients were: tebuconazole, epoxiconazole (of fungicides), trifluaraline, glyphosate (of herbicides), DDT (that was banned in 1997) (of insecticides);

100

21 20 31 39

10

166

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

* Include also traces of Prometrin, Pirimiphos-methyl (insekts), Boscalid, Fenpropimorph, Diphenylamine, Spiroxamine, Propiconazole

The most distributed active substances found in soil samples

Problemes • The method of sampling (time, depth etc) is not

fixed • The pesticides concentration in deeper soil layers

and the leaching capasity of pesticides in different soil types is unknown

• The analytical capasity of the chemical laboratories is limited

• There have been analytical problems for glyphosate and aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA)-the main degradation product of glyphosate, detection

Ecotoxicological effects of glyphosate and its formulations

Mariliis Sihtmäe, Kai Künnis-Beres, Irina Blinova National Institute of Chemical Physics and Biophysics, Laboratory of Environmental

Toxicology

In Estonia glyphosate-based formulations are the most used among all pesticides since 2002 (284 tonnes of glyphosate-based formulations were sold in 2010) and their usage shows clear increase (Estonian Agricultural Board, 2012). Currently, there are around 34 different glyphosate-based formulations registered for using in Estonia, e.g. Agro-Glyfo, Barclay Barbarian, Dalgis, Dominator, Glyfos, Glyphomax, Jablo, Ranger, Rodeo, Rosate, Taifun B, Roundup Quick, Roundup Gold, Roundup Max, Roundup Bio, etc.

Introduction

The aims of the study i) to compare the potential harmful effects of

different commercial formulations of glyphosate to non-target species;

ii) to evaluate the influence of the recommended and high concentrations (e.g. as a result of an accident during transportation) of glyphosate-based herbicides on soil microbial community

The toxicity of glyphosate was investigated both as - an active substance - isopropylamine salt of glyphosate (A), and - the most in Estonia used formulated products Roundup Quick™ (B) and Roundup Max™ (C).

A B C

Scheme of the experiment

Soil isolate M1

Bacillus mycoides

Soil isolate M2

Soil – control, sample no 1

Bacillus mycoides isolates has been used to control plant diseases, e.g. Cercospora leaf spot (Cercospora beticola Sacc.) of sugar beet, in both glasshouse and field experiments. Disease control is attributed to the bacterium's ability to induce systemic resistance (Bargabus et al, 2002).

Bacillus mycoides Isolated from not polluted fild soil

Figure 3. Results of the spot-tests with three bacterial strains (M2, M1 and Bacillus mycoides) isolated from natural soil. In the growth inhibition assay the bacteria were exposed to five different glyphosate concentrations (from 225 to 3600 mg AE L-1) of the three glyphosate products.

Conclusions (1)

The results of the study demonstrated that the toxicity of the glyphosate-based herbicides to non-target aquatic and terrestrial organisms vary within a wide range.

The indigenous gram-positive soil microbes (e.g.B.mycoides) are more sensitive to glyphosate based herbicides than the gram-negative bacteria (P.putida, E.coli).

High concentrations of Roundup Quick™ increased the heterotrophic bacteria number in soil, but also decreased the diversity of natural bacterial community.

Conclusions (2)

The difference in toxicity of the two investigated glyphosate products (Roundup Max™ and Roundup Quick™) may be due to different additives used in the specific formulation.

In typical Estonian climatic conditions (short vegetative period and relatively long cold period), the recovery of the soil health in case of pollution by glyphosate formulations (more the recommended field rate) is slow and the soil microbial community may not recover during one vegedation season.


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Documents

The use and monitoring of PESTICIDES in Estonia Künnis-Beres... · Republic of Estonia . ... 6655 7060 spiroxamine 1723 3082 chlorothalonil 795 376 tebuconazole 11198 13357 ... Plant