-Pesticides used for intensive agricultural production threaten the water resources of the French West Indies. For example, the pesticide chlordecone was used until the nineties in banana fields. Operational and simple tools are needed to assess the potential risk of pollution by pesticides. Here, we propose a method to assess the spatial variability of pollution risk on a watershed scale. This method proceeds in four steps: (1) surveying practices; (2) determining the pesticide load for each field in the watershed; (3) establishing an indicator of pollution contribution for each field based on the load of pesticide per year weighted by the toxicity and solubility of each molecule; and (4) spatializing the indicator. We applied this method to an agricultural watershed in the north of Martinique, French West Indies. The results showed detailed information of pesticide dose spread and the distribution of the pollution risk, highlighting risk areas. Specifically designed for the volcanic and tropical areas of the French West Indies, our method could be adapted by integrating other data on soil-climate conditions and the topography. pollution risk evaluation / pesticides / agricultural practices / Martinique / indicator / GIS / spatial analysis / chlordecone
--Introduction. The green shelf life (GSL), which indicates the physiological development of bananas at harvest, is a major quality standard for fruit export. In order to evaluate and to understand the variability of the existing GSL in production, a diagnosis survey was carried out at three banana producers in Martinique using the method of thermal sums as a decision tool for harvest. Materials and methods. For each banana producer, fruits were taken at the exit of the packing station from 10% of the bunches collected during one week. Then, these bananas were preserved at 14 °C in bags made of perforated polyethylene until the "changing green" stage of maturity. The GSL was defined in days by the time passed between the harvest and this stage of maturity. Results and discussion. The GSL varied between (18 and 69) days with an average of 42 days for all of the producers. Nearly 80% of the production had a GSL between (25 and 50) days and less than 4% below 25 days. The variability of the GSL was related mainly to the age of the fruits at harvest, expressed in thermal sums (R = -0.74). This varied between (600 and 1150) degree-days for all of the producers. The fruits contaminated by anthracnose wounds and tip rots presented a shorter GSL than the healthy fruits, and that independently of the harvest stage (p < 0.001). The origin of this contamination was discussed. For the same thermal sum, significant differences in GSL were highlighted according to the location of production (plot) (p < 0.001).Variations of more than 7 days on average were observed between plots from the same producer and located at the same altitude. The origin of these differences was also discussed. Résumé --Introduction. La durée de vie verte (DVV), qui indique l'état physiologique des bananes à la récolte, est un critère de qualité majeur pour l'exportation des fruits. Afin d'évaluer et de comprendre la variabilité de la DVV existant en exploitation, une enquête diagnostic a été menée chez trois producteurs de bananes en Martinique utilisant la méthode des sommes thermiques comme outil de décision de récolte. Matériel et méthodes. Pour chaque producteur, des fruits ont été prélevés en sortie de station d'emballage sur 10 % des régimes récoltés pendant une semaine. Ces bananes ont ensuite été conservées à 14°C dans des sacs perforés en polyéthylène jusqu'au stade de maturité « tournant vert ». La DVV a été définie par le temps écoulé en jour entre la récolte et ce stade de maturité. Résultats et discussion. La DVV a varié entre (18 et 69) jours avec une moyenne de 42 jours pour l'ensemble des producteurs. Près de 80 % de la production a eu une DVV entre (25 et 50) jours et moins de 4 % en dessous de 25 jours. La variabilité de la DVV a été liée principalement à l'âge des fruits à la récolte, exprimée en somme thermique (R = -0,74). Celle-ci a varié entre (600 et 1150) degrés-jour pour l'ensemble des exploitations. Les fruits contaminés par l'anthracnose de blessure et les pourritures de couronne ont présenté une DVV plus courte qu...
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