Ecotoxicology & Environment

The Influence of Pesticides and Fertilizer on the Fauna and Flora of a Surrogate Field Margin

Project Description

Field margins (not cultivated strips adjacent to fields) comprise the majority of the semi-natural habitats in the intensively farmed agricultural landscape and thus they can benefit the conservation of biodiversity in agroecosystems. Field margins can enhance the plant diversity within farmland and thought to act as corridors for the movement of fauna and possibly flora. However, field margins can be affected by pesticides and fertilizer through direct overspray and spray drift from adjacent field applications. Pesticides can have direct and indirect effects on the plant and animal composition. These effects can be cumulative due to mixtures of various pesticides and the application sequences of pesticides and fertilizer on a field.

The present study was undertaken to investigate the effects of the misplacement of pesticides and fertilizer on the flora and fauna of field margins. The study was a perennial field study, which started in 2010 and ended in 2012.

The field study was carried out on a low productive meadow. As test design a randomized block design with seven treatments (I: insecticide (Karate Zeon, a.i. lambda-Cyhalothrin 7.5 ml a.i./ha), H: herbicide (Atlantis WG, a.i.: 30 g/kg Mesosulfuron-methyl; 6 g/kg Iodosulfuron-methyl-natriu), F: NPK fertilizer, H+I, F+H, F+I, F+H+I) and one control was used. Each treatment was replicated 8 times in plots of 8 x 8 m with 2 m distance to each plot

The applications of the treatments mimicked the field management of winter wheat fields in the study area with their recommended agrochemical products and application rates. The used fertilizer and pesticide rates were consistent with their inputs (drift +overspray) in the first meter of a field margin directly adjacent to the field under Good Agricultural Practices.

To detect the effects of the agrochemical application, plant density assessments were carried out in May and June (2010 - 2012). Additionally, a photo-documentation of the flowering intensity of the common buttercup Ranunculus acris was performed two weeks after the herbicide applications in 2010 - 2012 and the seed production of selected species (Ranunculus acris, Lathyrus pratensis, Vicia sepium, and Rumex acetosa) was assessed in 2012.
Moreover, arthropods were collected with different sampling methods (photoeclectors (2010, 2011), suction sampler (2010, 2011), sweep nets (2011, 2012).

Related publications

  • Schmitz, J., Schäfer, K., Brühl, C. accepted: Agrochemicals in field margins – Assessing the impacts of herbicides, insecticides and fertilizer on the common buttercup Ranunculus acris. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry.

Related presentations

  • Schmitz, J., Schäfer, K., Brühl, C. (2012): Risk assessment of herbicides for the common buttercup Ranunculus acris in field margins – an experimental field study. Oral presentation at the SETAC Europe 22nd Annual Meeting/6th SETAC World Congress 2012, Berlin, Germany.
  • Hahn, M., Schotthöfer, A., Geisthardt, M., Schmitz, J., Lenhardt, P., Brühl, C. (2012): Caterpillars and protection goals: The role of field margins as habitats and the effects of pesticide applications. Poster presentation at the SETAC Europe 22nd Annual Meeting/6th SETAC World Congress 2012, Berlin, Germany.
  • Schmitz, J., Schäfer, K., Uhl, P., Brühl, C. (2011): Auswirkungen des Herbizideintrags auf den Scharfen Hahnenfuß Ranunculus acris in Feldsäumen. Oral presentation at the SETAC GLB 16th Annual Meeting 2011, Landau, Germany.
  • Felix, T., Schmitz, J., Brühl, C. (2011): Untersuchung zum Einfluss des Insektizideintrags in Feldsäumen am Beispiel von Zikaden (Arthaldeus pascuellus & Philaenus spumarius). Poster presentation at the SETAC GLB 16th Annual Meeting 2011, Landau, Germany
  • Schmitz, J. & Brühl, C. (2010): Auswirkungen des Eintrags von Pflanzenschutzmitteln und Dünger auf die Biodiversität von Feldsäumen. Poster presentation at the 4th joint Annual Meeting of the SETAC GLB and the GDCh (Section Environmental chemistry and Ecotoxicology) 2010, Dessau, Germany.