Comparative characteristics of plant protection against copper and sulphur influence
Abstract
Efficient agriculture provides not only food security but also improves the economy of the country. Despite the existence of different types of agricultural production (traditional or organic), plant protection is currently a necessary component. Copper and sulphur are effective against pests and improve the quality and quantity of crops, but are toxic and harm the environment, biodiversity, and human health. The purpose of the study is to investigate the current situation regarding the use of copper and sulphur in plant protection in the Republic of Albania and other countries of the Balkan Peninsula and Europe. Theoretical and empirical research methods were used in the study. As a result, it was determined that the studied elements were actively used in different European countries, both in traditional and organic agriculture. There is a tendency to reduce the norms of use, and in some countries – the removal of these chemical elements from plant protection programmes. The paper includes a comparative characteristic of the use of copper and sulphur and a survey among Albanian agricultural producers on the use of preparations based on these elements. It is established that in the republic, copper and sulphur are actively used mainly in the form of herbicides and fungicides. They are used on vegetable and fruit crops, as well as grapes and olives. There is a problem of informing producers about the negative impact of copper and sulphur on the environment and human safety, as well as control by the state. The practical significance of the study lies in the analysis of the current situation of copper and sulphur use in Albania and in the identification of ways to change it for the better
Keywords
inorganic pesticides; nanofertilisers; efficiency; crop production; organic production
[1] Andrivon, D. (2018). Can organic agriculture cope without copper for disease control? Synthesis of the collective scientific assessment report. Rennes: INRA.
[2] Angeleska, E., Nikolov, I., & Angeleski, A. (2011). Agrokimia. Skopje: Ministry for Education and Science in the Republic of Macedonia.
[3] Borkow, G., & Gabbay, J. (2005). Copper as a biocidal tool. Current Medicinal Chemistry, 12, 2163-2175. doi: 10.2174/0929867054637617.
[4] Brankov, T., & Matkovski, B. (2022). Is a food shortage coming to the Western Balkans? Foods, 11, article number 3672. doi: 10.3390/foods11223672.
[5] Dokic, D., Novakovic, T., Tekic, D., Matkovski, B., Zekic, S., & Milic, D. (2022). Technical efficiency of agriculture in the European Union and Western Balkans: SFA method. Agriculture, 12, article number 1992. doi: 10.3390/agriculture12121992.
[6] EU Pesticides Database. (2022). Retrieved from https://food.ec.europa.eu/plants/pesticides/eu-pesticidesdatabase_en.
[7] Eurostat. (2022). Retrieved from https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/products-eurostat-news/-/ddn-20220502-1.
[8] Gesraha, M.A., & Ebeid, A.R. (2019). Impact of sulphur dust application on the abundance of two important coccinellid predators in marrow fields. Bulletin of the National Research Centre, 43, article number 34. doi: 10.1186/s42269-019-0060-7.
[9] Gikas, G.D., Parlakidis, P., Mavropoulos, T., & Vryzas, Z. (2022). Particularities of fungicides and factors affecting their fate and removal efficacy: A review. Sustainability, 14, article number 4056. doi: 10.3390/su14074056.
[10] Global assessment of the impact of plant protection products on soil functions and soil ecosystems. (2017). Retrieved from https://www.fao.org/documents/card/fr/c/I8168EN/.
[11] Horvat, M.A., Matkovski B., Zekic S., & Radovanov B. (2019). Technical efficiency of agriculture in Western Balkan countries undergoing the process of EU integration. Agricultural Economics (Czech Republic), 66, 65-73. doi: 10.17221/224/2019-AGRICECON.
[12] Karthik, A., & Maheswari, M.U. (2021). Smart fertilizer strategy for better crop production. Agricultural Reviews, 42(1), 12-21. doi: 10.18805/ag.R-1877.
[13] Katsoulas, N., Loes, A.K., Andrivon, D., Cirvilleri, G., De Cara, M., Kir, A., Knebl, L., Malinska, K., Oudshoorn, F.W., Willer, H., & Schmutz, U. (2020). Current use of copper, mineral oils and sulphur for plant protection in organic horticultural crops across 10 European countries. Organic Agriculture, 10, 159-171. doi: 10.1007/s13165-020-00330-2.
[14] Kiaune, L., & Singhasemanon, N. (2011). Pesticidal copper (I) oxide: Environmental fate and aquatic toxicity. Reviews of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, 213, 1-26. doi: 10.1007/978-1-4419-9860-6_1.
[15] Kir, A., Cetinel, B., Sevim, D., Gungor, F.O., Rayns, F., Touliatos, D., & Schmutz, U. (2022). Agroecological screening of copper alternatives for the conservation of soil health in organic olive production. Agronomy, 12, article number 1712. doi: 10.3390/agronomy12071712.
[16] Kullaj, E., Shahini, S., Varaku, S., & Cakalli, M. (2017). Evaluation of the efficacy for reducing copper use against downy mildew control in organic Mediterranean viticulture. International Journal of Pest Management, 63(1), 3-9. doi: 10.1080/09670874.2016.1209252.
[17] La Torre, A., Iovino, V., & Caradonia, F. (2018). Copper in plant protection: Current situation and prospects. Phytopathologia Mediterranea, 57(2), 201-236. doi: 10.14601/Phytopathol_Mediterr-23407.
[18] Rader, K.J., Carbonaro, R.F., Van Hullebusch, E.D., Baken, S., & Delbeke, K. (2019). The fate of copper added to surface water: Field, laboratory, and modeling studies. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, 38(7), 13861399. doi: 10.1002/etc.4440.
[19] Ranjith, M., & Sridevi, S. (2021). Smart fertilizers as the best option for ecofriendly agriculture. Yigyan Varta, 2(1), 51-55.
[20] Sadek, M.E., Shabana, Y.M., Sayed-Ahmed, K., & Abou Tabl, A.H. (2022). Antifungal activities of sulphur and copper nanoparticles against cucumber postharvest diseases caused by Botrytis cinerea and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. Journal of Fungi, 8, article number 412. doi: 10.3390/jof8040412.
[21] Shahini, E., Skuraj, E., Sallaku, F., & Shahini, S. (2022). Smart fertilizers as a solution for the biodiversity and food security during the war in Ukraine. Scientific Horizons, 25(6), 129-137. doi: 10.48077/scihor.25(6).2022.129-137.
[22] Tamm, L., Thuerig, B., Apostolov, S., Blogg, H., Borgo, E., Corneo, P.E., Fittje, S., De Palma, M., Donko, A., Experton, C., Marin, E.A., Perez, A.M., Pertot, I., Rasmussen, A., Steinshamn, H., Vetemaa, A., Willer, H., & Herforth-Rahme, J. (2022). Use of copper-based fungicides in organic agriculture in twelve European countries. Agronomy, 12(3), article number 673. doi: 10.3390/agronomy12030673.
[23] The World Bank. (2020). Retrieved from https://data.worldbank.org/.
[24] The World Bank. (2022). Retrieved from https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2022/10/04/russian-invasion-of-ukraine-impedes-post-pandemic-economic-recovery-in-emerging-europe-and- central-asia.
[25] Wahab, Sh., Muzammil, Kh., Nasir, N., Khan, M.S., Ahmad, Md.F., Khalid, M., Ahmad, W., Dawria, A., Viswanath Reddy, L.K., & Busayli, A.M. (2022). Advancement and new trends in analysis of pesticide residues in food: A comprehensive review. Plants (Basel), 11(9), article number 1106. doi: 10.3390/plants11091106.
[26] World Health Organization. (2008). Retrieved from https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/350752.
[27] Zupanic, F.Z., Radic, D., & Podbregar, I. (2021). Climate change and agriculture management: Western Balkan region analysis. Energy, Sustainability and Society, 11, article number 51. doi: 10.1186/s13705-021-00327-z.