Monitoring of horticultural ecosystem: orchard soil and water bodies for pesticide residues around North Bangalore.
Awasthi M. D., Debi Sharma, Ahuja A. K.
Author Affiliation: Pesticide Residue Laboratory, Division of Soil Science & Agricultural Chemistry, Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Hessaraghatta, Bangalore - 560 089, India.
Pesticide Research Journal 14 : 286-291
Abstract : The horticultural ecosystem comprising orchard soil and water bodies situated in the fruit, vegetable and food crop growing areas of North Bangalore, Karnataka, India, was monitored periodically during 1999-2000 for pesticide residue contamination after the harvests. The soil samples from grape orchards had carbofuran residues, while the soil samples from mango orchards had deltamethrin residues. Persistence of carbofuran, chlorpyriphos, dicofol and mancozeb residues was recorded in chilli fields; triazophos and monocrotophos, in cabbage fields; carbofuran, quinalphos and monocrotophos, in okra fields; and quinalphos, chlorpyriphos and monocrotophos, in tomato fields. In lake water samples, HCH, DDT, dicofol, quinalphos, triazophos, chlorpyriphos were detected. In open well water samples, HCH, DDT, dicofol, triazophos, carbofuran and phorate were observed. Bore well water samples contained only alpha- and beta-HCH residues. The extent of pesticide residues from all the water bodies, however, was below the prescribed maximum residue level of all the pesticides.