IN-SITU ASSESSMENT OF PESTICIDE GENOTOXICITY IN AN INTEGRATED PEST-MANAGEMENT PROGRAM - II - MAIZE WAXY MUTATION ASSAY

The mutagenicity induced by pesticides applied in an integrated pest m anagement (IPM) program was evaluated in situ with the maize forward w axy mutation bioassay. Three pesticide application rates were prescrib ed as follows: (1) Low-no field pesticide spray; (2) Medium-IPM test r ate: banded cyanazine plus metolachlor (2.7 kg a.i. and 2.3 1 a.i./ha of herbicides, respectively); and (3) High-a preventative pesticide ap plication program: broadcast cyanazine plus metolachlor (same applicat ion rates as above) plus chlorpyrifos (1 kg a.i./ha of insecticide). I n general, there was no significant reduction in the genotoxic effects from the high to the medium treatment levels of the IPM program. This suggests that the reduction in pesticide application rates attained w ith the implementation of the proposed IPM program was not sufficient to abate the genotoxicity of the pesticides. The results indicate that replacing genotoxic compounds may be the only effective remediation m easure if concern about environmental mutagenesis were to result in ch anges in agricultural management. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.