The Impact of Pesticides - Academy Publish

33,370 ha, whilst that of woody crops went from 40,150 ha to more than 46,000 ha,among which the plum tree was to be highlighted (Figure 2).Using agricultural production data available from the Murcia Regional AutonomousGovernment from 1999 to 2003 (CARM, 2005) on crops mostly associated with dryfarming areas (grains, vineyards, almonds and olives) and fruit trees from marketgarden areas and matching them against concentrations of the different compounds,an increase in DDTs concentrations in the blood of Booted eagle chicks wasobserved over the period which followed a progression coinciding with the increaseof surface devoted to olive, grape and plum tree production, whilst displayingtendencies to the contrary of those for cereal grain production (Figure 3).In view of the results, it seems more likely that the use of dicofol, but not the use ofDDT in African wintering retreats, would explain the levels of diphenyl aliphatics inthe blood of chicks.CONCLUSIONSThe trans-Saharan migratory factor cannot account for the results obtained for DDTand its analogues in the blood of forest raptors, and as such, other factors directlyassociated with the study zone must be considered. Assuming that DDT is notactually being used in agricultural practices, then the recommended use of dicofol (aproduct in whose manufacture DDT is used), against plagues specific to the moreimportant crops in the study area, may account for the levels of DDT and itsanalogues present in the blood of forest raptor chicks. In this sense, the increase inDDT concentrations in the blood of Booted eagle chicks throughout the study periodwas parallel to the increase of surface dedicated to vineyards, citrus orchards andolive groves production in the study area, for which dicofol was the recommendedpesticide against certain plagues. Finally, we believe that the blood of Booted eaglechicks may be taken into account as a control unit for monitoring or evaluatingsituations associated with changes in agricultural land use or practice.AcademyPublish.org - The Impact of Pesticides328