Application of environmental impact quotient model to Kumluca region, Turkey to determine environmental impacts of pesticides

Besides the new developments in agricultural technology, intensive use of pesticides poses a great environmental hazard. The unthinking use of pesticides leads to contamination of air, water and soil. There are several pesticide risk indicator models available in the literature to assess pesticide impacts on the applicator and the ecosystem which is an important issue. This paper refers to an application of a pesticide risk indicator model, called Environmental Impact Quotient (EIQ) which was developed to measure the environmental impacts of pesticide active ingredients used in vegetable and fruit production. The application site is the Kumluca region of Turkey, which is well known for its intensive agricultural activities. As the first step in the model application, EIQ values have been calculated for 35 commonly used pesticides in Kumluca. EIQ values were then turned into EIQ field use rating results based on the active ingredient percent and application rate. Furthermore, some pesticide management scenarios were evaluated to select the least detrimental pesticide by comparing EIQ model results. The EIQ model is an easily applied and very helpful tool for pest management practitioners and agricultural specialists. It can be used efficiently to compare different agricultural pest management strategies or programs.