Pesticide use comparison in greenhouse and outdoor production systems: The case of tomato and lettuce cultivation in the La Plata Region, Argentina

Authors

  • BLANDI, María Luz 1CONICET (Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas)-Cátedra de Agroecología, Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Forestales, Universidad Nacional de La Plata (FCAyF, UNLP)
  • FLORES, Claudia Cecilia Cátedra de Agroecología (FCAyF, UNLP)
  • SARANDÓN, Santiago Javier CIC (Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas de la pcia. De Bs. As.)-Cátedra de Agroecología (FCAyF, UNLP)

Keywords:

Agroecology, Sustainable agriculture, Agroecosystems, Pesticides, Greenhouse production

Abstract

In La Plata Horticultural Region much of the outdoor crops production was replaced by greenhouse
production. Ecologically, greenhouse is a simplified system, where ecological processes
are weakened and must be compensated with inputs. The use of pesticides in greenhouse
and outdoor production systems in tomato and lettuce was compared. Our result showed that
under greenhouse, a greater number and quantity of more dangerous pesticides (acording its
toxicological categories) was used as compared with outdoor cultivation. This confirms the
greater danger of the intensive model. Ours results show that highly simplified systems require
more inputs than more diverse systems. These findings have relevance in the technical, scientific
and normative analysis, regarding the social and ecological relevance of the outdoor crops
production, beyond the apparent profitability.

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Published

2018-08-23

Issue

Vol. 13 No. 1 (2018): Anais do VI Congresso Latino-americano de Agroecologia; X Congresso Brasileiro de Agroecologia; V Seminário de Agroecologia do Distrito Federal e Entorno; 12 a 15 de setembro de 2017, Brasília/DF

Section

CBA - Agrotóxicos e Transgênicos