APRIL 2019 • COUNTRY LIFE IN BC Improper pesticide use threatens access
Off-label pesticide use likely source of river contamination by PETER MITHAM
LANGLEY – The latest round of monitoring by the province’s pesticide specialist indicates that traces of pesticides in the Nicomekl River may be the result of the chemicals being used in ways they weren’t intended. Ken Sapsford, who has
spent two years surveying neonicotinoid levels in three watersheds across the Lower Mainland, says the source of elevated levels in the Nicomekl River isn’t clear, but he knows it isn’t associated with the potato and vegetable growers’ use of the chemical he’s fighting to protect. The chemical in question is imidacloprid, one of three key pesticides in the 4A group of neonicotinoids – called neonics for short – he’s been tracking. Imidacloprid targets insects that suck, such as soil insects, termites and fleas. The other two are thiomethoxam and clothianidin. Neonicotinoids are the
subject of a cyclical review by the federal Pest Management Regulatory Agency as well as court-ordered investigations triggered by public concerns over their impacts on wildlife. While foliar applications
have been deemed safe to pollinators, a decision on aquatic impacts is pending. The preliminary recommendation is a ban on all outdoor uses of neonics, both foliar and seed treatments. Sapsford has been working
to show that use of the chemical in BC isn’t contaminating watercourses. It promises to provide a counterpoint to elevated levels reported in Ontario and Quebec. Aquatic invertebrates and the animals that feed on them could be harmed if chronic levels rise above 300 nanograms per litre for thiomethoxam and 20 nanograms per litre for clothianidin. The threshold for imidacloprid is 41 nanograms per litre. One nanogram per litre is one part per trillion. “If the insects are exposed to that level for a three or four-week time period, there could be some issues,” Sapsford explains, while noting that the levels in question are still very small. “One part per trillion is one second in 31,000 years,” he says. “We have methodology now to detect for these small things. [But] it’s not if we find it, it’s whether or not it’s a problem.” Sapsford presented his findings from 2018 to the BC
Potato and Vegetable Growers Association on February 26. Sapsford took samples
every two weeks in the Sumas River in Abbotsford, Chilukthan Slough in Delta and the Nicomekl River in Surrey between May and October last year. Testing picked up traces of the chemicals, but there were just two instances when levels of clothianidin and thiomethoxam spiked. The one-time detections above the chronic threshold – which is lower than for acute situations – mean the incidents do not pose a threat. However, imidacloprid is a
different matter. “We have numbers that
were always there,” he reported.
But the sampling took place both upstream and downstream of vegetable production areas. The upstream areas – those close to Langley – always showed higher levels than downstream test sites. “[It’s] showing up in this watershed upstream of that main field agriculture area, and we’re not really adding anything to it. It’s just moving through that area,” he said, noting that a similar pattern was identified in 2017. To try and get a better handle on the situation, he broke the upper Nicomekl
The level of neonics found at specific sites along Fraser Valley waterways indicates off-label pesticide use may be to blame. That’s putting proper applications of the chemicals at risk. FILE PHOTO
into three tributaries. One of the tributaries showed elevated numbers, so Sapsford dug in in and traced the tributary to a cluster of greenhouse and nursery operations. “It looks like it’s coming
from an area with five or six greenhouses, two or three nurseries, but we can’t identify which one,” he told potato growers. The area of concern also hosts cranberry and blueberry fields. “I believe the source of the imidacloprid on the Nicomekl is coming from an illegal or
off-label use somewhere,” he said
Sapsford isn’t pointing fingers at any one operation, noting that the test results don’t allow it. Nor do they make sense to him. Representatives of the BC Landscape and Nursery Association and the BC Greenhouse Growers Association would not comment on the matter when asked by Country Life in BC. Sapsford planned to do
one more round of sampling in March to see if he could identify the source of the
contamination. If the source of the contamination proves to be an off-label use – one not specified on the label, then the issue could land in the hands of compliance officers from the BC Ministry of Environment and Health Canada. Sapsford hoes that
awareness of the issue will lead to the issue correcting itself. In the meantime, his work
to make sure neonics remain available to potato growers continues.
33
A SPREADER FOR EVERY OPERATION PS 200 Series ProSpread® Rear-Discharge Spreaders
NEW!
1200 Series EasySpread® Rear-Discharge Spreaders
2000 Series ProPush® Rear-Discharge Spreaders
SL 100 Series ProTwin® Side-Discharge Spreaders
Slinger®
PXL 100 Series ProSpread® Rear-Discharge Spreaders
We have a wide range of models and sizes with multiple options to fit any operation. Our innovative, high-quality spreaders provide superior performance with years of low-maintenance service.
Matsqui Ag-Repair Abbotsford, BC 604-826-3281
Noble Tractor & Equipment Armstrong, BC 250-546-3141
KuhnNorthAmerica.com
Noble Tractor & Equipment Kamloops, BC 250-851-3101
INVEST IN QUALITY® m
Visit your local KUHN Knight Dealer today!
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48
