Scientific Workshop Series

Pesticide Safety Workshop

The term pesticide covers a wide range of compounds including insecticides, fungicides, herbicides, rodenticides, molluscicides, nematicides, plant growth regulators, and others. Most pesticides are chemicals used to kill or control pests. If not used correctly, they can be dangerous to health and the environment. Pesticides are characterized by various degrees of toxicity to target and non-target organisms because of the cumulative properties of many pesticides, they circulate in ecosystems and may be accumulated by many living organisms and even migrate through food chains.

Safety is always an issue when using pesticides. Applicators,  bystanders, and the environment can be harmed by exposure to pesticide concentrates or vapor drift. Those who work with pesticides must know and follow safe practices to reduce risk. Pesticide safety begins with choosing the correct product. Safety is important in pesticide storage, transportation, mixing, and loading. Equipment cleanup and maintenance must be done safely. Unwanted pesticides and empty pesticide containers must be properly disposed of.

“Pesticide Safety Workshop” conducted from March 1st, 2021, to March 2nd, 2021, in the Rice Research Institute of Iran (RRII), Rasht, Iran. In this workshop, plant protection experts of Guilan province participated. The speaker of this workshop was Dr. Hadis Shahbazi, Assistant Professor (Phytopathology) of the Plant Protection Department of RRII.

In this workshop participants were introduced to low-risk fungicides that have been registered in Iran in recent years and they learned how to keep themselves, their family, and the environment safe when they handle and use pesticides. The workshop did not include crop protection recommendations.