Cultivation under glass

Environmental Yardstick for Pesticide use in the cultivation under glass

Consult the Environmental Yardstick for Pesticides for the cultivation under glass: click here
Explanation
  1. What is the use of the Environmental Yardstick for Pesticide for cultivation under glass?
  2. How are environmental impact points (EIP) calculated for cultivation under glass?
  3. Which EIP score is acceptable?
  4. What ’s the difference between application techniques?
  5. How is the yardstick used in practise?
  6. How are EIP scores exactly calculated?

1. What is the use of the Environmental Yardstick for Pesticides for cultivation under glass?

The Environmental Yardstick for Pesticide is a tool to find out how harmful different pesticides are for the environment. By comparing the environmental impact points (EIP) of pesticides it is possible to chose the least harmful pesticide. The yardstick can also be used to determine the total environmental impact of all pesticides used during a season,  this impact can be compared with collegues. The environmental impact for cultivation under glass is shown as environmental impact points (EIP). The more harmful the pesticide is, the higher the EIP score. The EIP gives an indication of the environmental impact compared to other pesticides.

This yardstick is only meant for cultivation under glass. Information about the environmental impact of pesticides used in field crops can be found in the Environmental Yardstick for Pesticides in field crops.

2. How are the environmental impact points for cultivation under glass calculated?

The volatility, degradation, toxicity, the application technique and the actual applied quantity are taken into account in the calculation of the environmental impact points (EIP). For example, a pesticide that's toxic and vaporizes quickly will have a higher EIP than a pesticide that's less toxic. Pesticides which are applied by space treatment will usually have a higher EIP than pesticides which are sprayed. The environmental impact points indicate the harmfulness of a pesticide for aquatic organisms outside the greenhouse. It appears that the use of pesticides in cultivations under glass most harmful to aquatic organisms. The EIP doesn't give an indication for human health by application. For more information, see question 6.

3. Which EIP score is acceptable?

Compared to the Environmental Yardstick for Pesticides for field crops there is no acceptable level for the environmental impact points for cultivation under glass. The Dutch government has not yet given an acceptable level in the admission policy for pesticide emissions via the air. By comparing the EIP of pesticides for a specific cultivation, it's possible to chose the least harmful pesticide product. The EIP for cultivation under glass can not be compared with the EIP for field crops.

4. What's the difference between application techniques?

The emission (evaporation) of pesticides is higher with space treatment application than other techniques. Therefor the EIP for pesticides applied by space treatment are higher as well. The yardstick can calculated EIP for different techniques.

5. How is the yardstick used in practise?

From an environmental viewpoint it's important to avoid the use of harmful pesticides. For some reasons, like economical reasons, harmful pesticides might be necessary. For instance a pesticide with a low environmental impact can have negative effects on natural enemies compared to a pesticide with a slightly higher environmental impact. To stimulate biological control it might be necessary to chose a pesticide with a higher environmental impact. For information about effects on natural enemies we refer to the Side Effect Guide of the suppliers of natural enemies. Furthermore it's unfavourable to use the same pesticides every season because of pesticide resistanceUsing  pesticides from different chemical groups is necessary. To achieve sustainable crop protection it is important to know if diseases and plagues can be prevented, for example by the use of resistant breeds or by climate control. Also the use of natural enemies can be a solution, especially in the ornamentals production. The Environmental Yardstick for Pesticides for cultivation under glass does not give any information about human health of the applier. To work safely with pesticides, an applier should consult the information on thelabel and information guides.

6. How are EIP scores exactly calculated?

For each authorised pesticide for cultivation under glass the Environmental Yardstick for Pesticides calculates a score. In this part we explain how these scores have been calculated.

The emission route and environmental impact
After application pesticides can enter the environment by different transport routes. The main transport routes are via the air and via condense and drain water. Furthermore, pesticides applied in crops that are grown directly in the soil can reach surface water via the soil. The emission of pesticides via condense and drain water is limited by the Law Pollution of Surface Waters. That's why these routes are not taken into account in the yardstick. The emission and distribution via the air is more important. This route is used in the calculation of the environmental scores. Distribution directly by soil and drain water plays an important role for crops grown directly in the soil. However, the environmental impact is not different than the impact for the emission via the air. That's why the yardstick only takes into account emission by air.

Two factors are important by calculation of the environmental impact of pesticides:

These questions are answered in more detail below.
The amount that enters the environment
Emission via the air plays a role by crops grown directly in the soil and grown on substrate under glass. The emission depends on the volatility of the pesticide and the application technique. The emission varies between 1% and 40% of the actual applied quantity. After a substance has evaporated from the greenhouse (through narrow openings or by ventilation) it takes a while before the pesticide reaches surface water. A part of the pesticide will be broken down during transport. The remaining part can be a risk for the environment.
Calculation of the environmental risk of the active substance
The amount of the pesticide that evaporates via the air from the greenhouse can form a risk for organisms nearby. Research proved that aquatic organisms explore the highest risks.  The level of toxicity for this group of organisms has been used in the calculation in the yardstick. As  toxicity level the maximum acceptable level for aquatic organisms is used. This is the pesticide concentration in water when 95% of the species in aquatic ecosystems have no harmful effects.
Calculation of the environmental Impact points per pesticide product
The environmental impact points are calculated as follows. We divide the amount of active substance that's still active after 12 hours outside the greenhouse by the maximum acceptable level for aquatic organisms. This result is a relative level for the environmental risk. With the results the environmental effect of different pesticides can be compared. We have determined this for each active substance that's allowed in the cultivation under glass. Based on the active substance we have calculated that the total effect of pesticide products a greenhouse manager uses. With these scores and the actual applied quantity it is possible to calculate the environmental impact of these pesticides as explained in the example.