The Myth And Facts of Pesticide Use
Presentation to ACMO / CCI
November 15, 2002
International Plaza Hotel
By Tony DiGiovanni Executive Director,
Landscape Ontario Horticultural Trades Association*
*Published With Permission of Landscape Ontario.
The CCI Golden Horseshoe Chapter does not necessarily endorse or approve statements of fact or opinion made in this article and assumes no responsibility for those statements.
Overview of Landscape Ontario members
Landscape Ontario (LO) Members design, install and maintain industrial, commercial, institutional, public and residential green spaces. and grow and sell: trees, shrubs, perennials, grasses, annuals and garden products.
Our members include:
- Landscape designers
- Landscape contractors
- Landscape maintenance firms
- Nurseries
- Garden Centres
- Irrigation contractors
- Lawn care firms
- Interiorscape firms
Industry Profile
Larger than most people think.
Approximately 10,000 companies.
Employing over 100,000 people.
7 billion dollars of economic activity.
Fast growing sector.
Growth of over 10% per year in 1998, 1999, 2000, and 2001.
Lawn Care- 1300 operators in Ontario, 12,000 licensees and 4000 technicians.
Farm sector, Ontario ornamental horticulture has surpassed all other farm gate values ahead of corn, wheat, soybeans, fruits, vegetables etc.
The demographics of the boom generation favour our industry.
Public wants to create a little bit of paradise in their back yards.
Future prospects are very bright
Continued growth in the growing industry.
The Pesticide Debate
Controversial
Misinformation
Political
Emotional
Unfair
Polarization
The Myths of Pesticide Use
Myth 1: People use a lot of pesticides on Canadian landscapes
Fact: Few pesticides are used by the landscape industry.
The lawn and garden industry is responsible for less than 2% of all pesticide use. (1% home and garden. 1 % commercial applicators)
Over 90% of the 2% is a weed killer called 2,4-D and roundup (gyphosate) 2,41) has been used for over 50 years. It is not a carcinogen
Canadians use a lot fewer pesticides than most other western countries - about 1/5 of the amount used in France and 1/20 of the amount used in the Netherlands Bellinder et al
Myth 2: Pesticides for lawns and gardens are not necessary as they are just for cosmetic reasons
Fact: Healthy Lawns, Gardens and Parks, Contribute to a Healthier Environment
Healthy trees and gardens absorb 26 lbs. carbon dioxide annually and clean and neutralize air pollutants by converting carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide and other gases into oxygen
Healthy lawns reduce noise pollution 20 - 30%
Well maintained grass reduces surface temperatures by 18 - 24C compared to poorly maintained grass 10 - 15C
Healthy trees cut energy costs 18- 50%
Prevent soil erosion, particularly down the sides of hills and ravines into storm sewers: lawns trap rainfall six times better than wheat and hay fields
Reduce by 40% injuries from soccer and softball sprains, scrapes and falls, due to poorly maintained turf
Myth 3: Organic pesticides and home made remedies are safer than chemical pesticides
Fact: About Synthetic Versus Natural Pesticides
Pesticide is a broad term that describes all synthetic and natural substances - both undergo the same extensive testing before they can be registered as a pesticide in Canada
Natural remedies are not registered as pesticides and are not tested for large scale health and environmental impacts. We do not know how effective they are other than anecdotal evidence.
While some can be quite benign, in other cases natural pesticides can be more toxic than synthetic ones i.e., mushrooms, table salt, bleach, gasoline, rhubarb leaf juice.
For example, caffeine is 25 to 50 times more toxic than some of the most widely used lawn herbicides
Myths 4: Pesticides are not tested
Fact:
There are additional safety factors in the testing that allow for children and vulnerable groups such as seniors
The federal government recently introduced the new PCP act which will entrench even greater safety requirements
All products are tested by Health Canada. "no unacceptable risks as long as products are used as directed"
All applicators are licensed
Common Ground
Least amount of pesticides used the better
Focus on plant health and IPM not on pesticides
Reductions and minimization is responsible and possible • Raising standards of responsibility and professionalism is positive
Research into alternatives is desirable
Research pesticide use yourself by consulting Health Canada and The 24D organization.
IPM Accreditation Purpose:
The IPM accreditation process will help reduce reliance on pesticides through the application of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and Plant Health Care (PHC) principles, with particular emphasis on the implementation of
- Cultural practices that promote optimum plant health b) Pest prevention
- Application of pesticides only when necessary
- Use of reduced risk products
How It Works
IPM accreditation accredits companies and/or organizations that demonstrate commitment to the principles of IPM.
IPM is an approach that uses all available techniques in an
organized process to suppress pest populations in effective, economical and environmentally safe ways.
4 Step Process
- Evaluation
- Ongoing professional development
- Commitment to a code of practice
- Submit to a third party audit
Governing Body
The IPM Council
- Includes industry associations, government regulators and community environmental groups who are committed to introducing PHC/IPM as a method for reducing pesticide use.
- Council sets standards for the accreditation procedure and make decisions on conferring and revoking accreditation privileges.
Who Is on the IPM Council?
- Urban pest management council
- Ontario parks association
- International society of arboriculture
- Structural pest management association of Ontario Crop life
- Ontario vegetation management association
- Professional lawn care association of Ontario
- Environmental coalition of Ontario
- Ontario golf superintendents association
- Canadian members of the Professional Lawn Care Association of America
- Hydro One
- Pesticide Industry Council
- Landscape Ontario Horticultural Trades Association Sports Turf Association
Technical Advisors
Rob Witherspoon Guelph Turfgrass Institute, University of Guelph Pam
Charboneau Ontario Ministry of Agriculture Food
IPM Code of Practice (Lawn Care)
IPM/PHC accredited companies and organizations will:
- Agree to follow the IPM/PHC Code of Practice.
- Focus their business on the promotion and implementation of cultural practices such as using optimum soil depth and quality, suitable turf varieties, over-seeding, proper mowing heights, watering, fertilizing, aeration and/or de-thatching as components for maintaining healthy lawns and landscapes and preventing pest problems.
- Will encourage, educate and solicit the assistance of the property owner/manager in ensuring that optimum cultural practices are followed.
- Monitor the customers' lawn and landscape for pest infestation at regular intervals and maintain a log of observations. Will provide the collected monitoring data in support of a province wide monitoring network and database. This information will be relayed to a provincial monitoring database every two weeks from march to November.
- Support the principles of Integrated Pest Management as defined by Health Canada.
Integrated Pest Management or "IPM is a decision making process that uses all necessary techniques to suppress pests effectively, economically and in an environmentally sound manner to sustain healthy landscapes."
The elements of IPM include:
- Identifying potential pest organisms.
- Monitoring pest and beneficial organism populations, pest damage, and environmental conditions.
- Managing ecosystems to prevent organisms from becoming pests.
- Managing pest populations using strategies that combine biological, cultural, mechanical, behavioral, and when necessary chemical control.
- Support mandatory IPM re-certification for all licensed employees.
- Document pesticide reduction and pesticide alternative strategies through IPM and agree to monitor and keep records of pesticide use (active ingredient/ square meter) for audit purposes.
- Offer a pesticide free alternative to customers who choose not to use pesticides.
- Not apply pesticides unnecessarily.
- Not sell programs that are based on numerous pesticide applications but rather encourage programs and services based on PHC/IPM.
- Use pesticides only after examination (monitoring) and diagnosing, and in combination with additional horticultural measures.
- Will prepare all sites for proper application i.e. remove items from the lawn etc.
- Will apply treatments that are properly timed to maximize effectiveness. (Preventative treatments are discouraged and will only be used based on pest history as locally monitored. A province wide monitoring system will also be utilized.).
- Utilize spot treatments for the control of weeds and insects. Blanket applications are only used if warranted.
- Implement an effective staff training and safety procedure.
- Apply pesticides only to target areas.
- Implement buffer zones (where necessary) when making applications adjacent to sensitive sites.
Conclusion
Responsible use
95% common ground
IPM is responsible use
Total pesticide use in non agriculture equals less than 2%
Responsible use is the answer
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Last Updated by Steve Warner on November 17, 2002