THE recent swirl of opinions in the media over the use of pesticides and fertilizers usage on Rupununi mega-farms highlights the fact that there is a widespread misunderstanding and concern because of the impact it could have on the environment.

Problems caused by the use of chemicals and fertilizers in cultivation of rice cover a very wide range of activities. The problem with chemicals and fertilizers also illustrates an important point, and it is salutary to note that in cultivation of paddy it  cannot easily be divorced from the wider issue of the environment and eco-system of the wetlands of the North Rupununi.
Aside from the problems of toxicity, the environmental consequences of continuous use of high quantities of pesticides are well known: pollution of land and marine environments and aquifers; reduction  in bio-diversity with possible extinctions, especially in fragile marine and estuarine environment; it is said that Guyana is one of the most pesticides-polluted marine environments in the world; and residues in the food chain and in the produce we eat, which pose a risk to human health.
Among the 16 elements of chemicals which will be used for the production of rice in the Rupununi for normal growth is Nitrogen (urea) Phosphorous ( TSP) and Potassium, which are considered the primary plant food elements.
Nitrogen (N) is the most limiting nutrient for rice production in Guyana, except in soils deficient in some other element. Phosphorous (P) is the next most limiting element in rice production. Unlike nitrogen, it accumulates in the soil after repeated applications. Phosphorous application is recommended on the wetlands of the savannahs plain of Guyana. Potassium should be confined to the riverain areas.
Rice takes centre stage in agro-ecology; in fact, rice is one of the heaviest users of pesticides, and growing recognition should be given to the role of integrated pest management as insects and weeds pose the greatest threat to rice crops and the company should examine ways of reducing the use of chemicals, while ensuring the maintenance of biodiversity in that area.
Agrochemicals  comprise a category of products which perhaps are the most abused chemicals in the cultivation of paddy. They include crop protection chemicals; insecticides, fungicides, herbicides, nematicides etc.
Although there is much to be said about genetically engineered crops, which are resistant to pests or diseases, and so in theory do not require intensive pesticides interventions, these are not yet commercially available. The pesticides business is still expanding, so therefore, developing countries represent a major market.
Within this framework, control of insects, diseases and weeds for crop protection is the primary aim, while pesticides are also used extensively in livestock production and domestically.
However, in Guyana, guidelines for safe application of chemicals are not enshrined in law. Since there is no law governing pesticides and fertilizers application, there will be no official surveillance on the mega-farm in the Rupununi . In countries such as the USA, where regulations are not only strict but also enforced, serious infringements of the rules will result in fines or even imprisonment.

Mohamed Khan