Pesticide use in Egypt, its ecological impact and mitigative measures.
1994
Puelschen L. | Kaske R. | Sauerborn S.
Land-use systems in Egypt are characterized by high yield levels and cropping intensities and they depend on high agrochemical input. Egypt is regarded as the largest pesticide market of Arab countries and the fourth largest pesticide importer of the developing world. Weak framework on legislative and executive levels, poor education and poor training facilities are the main reasons for pesticide misuse which causes severe threats to man and environment. From 1971 to 1990, pesticides extremely to highly hazardous to mammals (WHO class 1a and 1b pesticides, acute toxicity) declined in consumption by 72 % mainly in favour of slightly hazardous pesticides (class 3) and products unlikely to present acute hazard in normal use ("Table 5" pesticides). Approx. 70 % of the imported pesticides are insecticides and the majority is non-selective. Ecological disturbances like pest resurgence, pest resistance and outbreaks of secondary pests due to overuse or one-sided use of pesticides are apparent. Rather high levels of pesticide residues in various ecological compartments bear evidence of the environmental load. Integrated pest management (IPM) strategies, particularly those which take cropping systems into consideration are regarded as mitigative measures in order to improve the presently deteriorating situation. A concept for field monitoring, which aims at the recording of ecological impact of plant protection measures, is described as a core instrument within the Egyptian-German IPM-Project.
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