Determination of threshold values on human and environment in recommended dosage applications of herbicides in sunflower cultivation

Agriculture is carried out on approximately 23 million hectares of land in our country. Sunflower cultivate is approximately 1 million ha and 65% of the production takes place in Tekirdağ, Konya, Edirne, Kırklareli and Adana provinces. Weeds share the light and water of cultivated plants and cause low yield. 17 active substances are used against weeds in sunflower cultivation. These are aclonifen, benfluralin, clomazone, cycloxdim, dimethenamide-P, fluazifop-P-butyl, flurochloridone, haloxyfop-P-methyl, imazamox, linuron, metolachlor, oxyfluorfen, pendimethalin, propaquizafop, quizalofop-P-methyl, pendimethalin, propaquizafop, quizalofop-P-methyl, ethylbuzalofronzine. In this study, the risk values of herbicide applications on human (operator, worker and audience) and the environment (aquatic organisms, persistence in soil, contamination of groundwater, bees, birds, earthworms and beneficial arthropods) were determined. The risk values determined in the calculations have been converted into Exceedence Factor (EF) varying between 0.000 and 1,000 and interpreted. As a result of the calculations, it has been determined that the EF values on humans in 16 of 17 effective substances varied between 0.064 and 1,000. When the EF values on the environment were examined, the EF value was determined in 4 of the 17 active substances and ranged between 0.003 and 0.568. As a result of this study, it has been concluded that especially the risk values on humans were high and personal protective equipment must be used in order to reduce herbicide exposure during spraying, and also environmentally friendly pesticide application methods should be used in order to reduce the risk values on the environment. Keywords: Agriculture, Pesticide, Human, Environment, Non-target organisms