Be aware of residues from late sprays

摘要

In the future, growers will find pesticide regulations getting tighter, not looser.New invasive insect pests, such as spotted wing drosophila and brown mar-morated stinkbug, are strongly attracted to ripening fruit, and strike orchards very near to harvest. This means growers have to apply sprays in the late season when they are more likely to leave pesticide residues on fruit. At the same time that the need to spray close to harvest is increasing, consumers—and government regulators—are looking at pesticide residues ever more warily.when fruit growers spray an orchard with a pesticide, what's the risk that they may be tripped up later by an illegal level of residue? What are the chances a load of fruit will be rejected at some point, and they will incur costs of rejected fruit or other penalties?Dr. Mark Whalon, a Michigan State University entomologist, embarked on a project last year that will result, he hopes, in a useful tool for growers.