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Fertilizarg
-70
At prerent it qpeare thet fertilizer uoe in the region dme not presant any major
probbme. Ttn probhmr that can arise ete:
- accumubtion of exqas! fertilizer rneteriels in freeh water or lagoon 8yltems giving rire lo
algel blooms end the aventuel death of aquatic faunar and
- rccumulation of toxic msterials arch a nitrate c inavy r:tsls in ground weter.
Fartilizer usc in the region is rather limited with countriea like Kiribati gtd Tuvalu
using lees then 5 tonnee/yr in totsl. Even countries like Papua New Guinear. Solomon lrlende
anO fili wtrich use l0rs of thoueande of tone of fertilizer do so at relatively low ratss per
unit land araa. Nitrate levele in ground water erppliee ere generelly low end phosphate.is
etrongly absorbed by meny regionil soila. Unfortunately, there ic no information st the
accuriubtion of heavy melala ln soils end ground water but it is unlikely the! levels (from
fertilizer sources at least) are high enough to cause concorn.
Biocidea (Peaticides, Herbicides, lnsecticidee, Fr.ngicideer Weedicidea)
Since Wald War II there has been a marked rise in the rumber of meterials evaileble.
Prior to 1940 mly a few tons of compounde, uaually derivetives of ersenicr eopper' lead'
rnercury, erphur or cfilorine, plue a few plant extracte like nicotine urlphate rtd pyrethrumt
were u'sad. Today well over 1000 products are availabb. Tfe uge of some of these has been
the agbject of considereble criticism, aometimes unjr.rstified, htt it ie essential to note many
problems heve arieen due to improper use of the rnaterials (Mos/bray, 1984; Thaman, I984I
In the Pacific, problems with biocidee uaually eriae only in ereag,of intensive crop
Broduction where the co8t8 of using these materiele cen be recouped. Demends by
governnents for increased agricultural production have led and will lead to the extended uge
5t biocides. Problems ueually arise an a rcsulf of TGNORANCE' CARELESSNESST
i€GLIGENCE, or a combinstion of these.
Unfortunately, the knowledge necessary for good biocide use cennot be gained
overnight. Knowledge m:
- whether or not to use biocides,
- what types to aPPlYr
- what rate to aPPIY'
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can be gained only by experience. Information on storage, stock control end
compatibility is also required.
The following ere aome of the problems that do erise.
l. Storagc: often biocides are collected from stores or shops in unlabelled containers
brought in by farmers. This can lead to probhms especially when the materials are
stored in the home as is often the case. Cmtainers are often labelled in Englishr not in
the indigenous language; perhaps this should be teken up with the manufacturers or
dietributors. Accidental poieoning occurs frequently. In several countries consunption of
paraquat (a herbicide) is a popular nrethod of committing suicide (etenches and emetics
can be added to liquid biocides to minimize this problem).
2. Diryorat unwanted biocides, such as those left over when too much or the wrong type
heg been ordered, are frequently difficult to diapose of sritably.
t. Applicetim: frequently this must be done in a particular way with the correct
equipment. Farmers often have not been educated in the correet way to use the
equipment, the equipnnnt ie poorly maintained, or not enough sets are available.
Protective ctothing is sometimes required and in Fiji at least one cese of death by
poisoning due to absorption of Parathion through the skin hes been recorded. Many less
serious caees of injury or illnees due to inappropriate 4plication
rnethods occur. Only
one or two countries have organized training progremmes in ryplication techniques and
none heve any certification scheme.
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