Cutflower Production Practices in the Philippines: Some Environmental Implications

摘要

Cutflower growing requires intensive application of fertilizers and chemicals for pest and disease control. A direct impact of this practice is the accumulation of residues in the soil, water systems and plant parts. Cutflower production practices andsome of their environmental impacts were surveyed in six major production sites in the Philippines. The study included the assessment of chemical residues of soil, water and plant tissue samples. In Benguet, residues of malathion, profenofos, lambdacyhalothrin and cypermethrin were detected in the plant tissues of roses; in chrysanthemums, organophosphate residues were detected in both plant and soil samples. Orchid tissues and soil samples from Batangas were found positive of malathion. Despite the heavy use of chemicals in cutflower production, the survey respondents did not report any secondary pest outbreaks and pest resurgence. Water supply shortage was reported in Cebu and Benguet. Although it is financially rewarding as indicated by the high rate of returns, cutflower production poses direct health hazards on the sprayers, especially health problems related with pesticide application.