Developing a pesticide risk assessment tool to monitor progress in reducing reliance on high-risk pesticides

A methodology is presented for the development of a pesticide risk assessment tool that was used to monitor progress in reducing use of high-risk pesticides in Wisconsin potato production. Multi-attribute toxicity factors are calculated that reflect each pesticide's acute and chronic toxicity to mammals, birds, fish and small aquatic organisms, and compatibility with biointensive Integrated Pest Management. These factors are then multiplied by the pounds of active ingredient of a given pesticide applied to estimate pesticide-specific toxicity units. Wisconsin potato industry baseline toxicity units by type of pesticide and for 11 targeted higher-risk pesticides are presented for 1995. Reductions in toxicity units from this baseline are reported for 1997 and 1999, as are reductions achieved in a commercial-scale field experiment in 2000.