Rpest--An indicator linked to a crop model to assess the dynamics of the risk of pesticide water pollution. Application to banana-based cropping systems

• Published in: European journal of agronomy Vol. 26; no. 2; pp. 71 - 81
• Main Authors: Tixier, P, Malezieux, E, Dorel, M, Bockstaller, C, Girardin, P
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier Science 01.02.2007
• Subjects: Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; bananas; Biological and medical sciences; crop management; crop models; cropping systems; Cropping systems. Cultivation. Soil tillage; environmental factors; environmental impact; environmental indicators; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General agronomy. Plant production; Generalities. Cropping systems and patterns; leaching; model validation; Musa; pesticides; risk assessment; Rpest indicator; simulation models; water pollution; Central America; French Antilles; Lesser Antilles; America; West Indies; Dynamic evaluation; Monocotyledones; Dynamic characteristic; Tropical zone; Pesticides; Cropping system; Agri-environmental indicator; Musaceae; Pesticide water pollution; Modeling; Indicator; Banana; Musa; Fruit crop; Angiospermae; Environment; Spermatophyta; Water pollution; Banana cropping system; Model-indicator linkage
• ISSN: 1161-0301; 1873-7331
• DOI: 10.1016/j.eja.2006.08.006

Like many intensive monocultures, some features of banana-based cropping systems may be detrimental to the environment. Pesticide use is a major cause of surface water and groundwater pollution. The risk of water pollution due to pesticides is very high in the insular areas of the French West Indies (FWI). In order to assess these risks and help design more sustainable cropping systems, we propose using an indicator to assess the risk of pesticide pollution over time (Rpest). Rpest provides dynamic assessments through a linkage with a cropping system model that simulates environmental factors and agricultural practices. An expert validation check was conducted and demonstrated that Rpest can rank cropping systems by risk as well as experts. A sensitivity analysis highlighted that the indicator can take the properties of active ingredients and pedoclimatic data into account in assessments. Rpest helps to pinpoint high pollution risk periods. It can also be used to test alternatives and compare systems. This tool can be integrated into a model-based, global, prototyping methodology used for more sustainable cropping systems.