Published in Scientific Papers. Series D. Animal Science, Vol. LXIII, Issue 1
Written by Valentina CEBOTARI, Ion BUZU
The purpose of the present paper was to investigate the degree of conformity of the flowers of some honey crops (rape, peas, maize) regarding pesticide residues, for the practice of organic beekeeping. Scientific research was carried out on the content of pesticide residues in flowers taken from industrial lands, suspected of contamination with pesticides. The results of the research demonstrate that, out of the 62 pesticides tested in the rape flower samples, detectable concentrations of residues were recorded in only 5 pesticides, which constitutes 8.1%. It has been found that rapeseed flowers are heavily polluted with the residues of the Glyphosate pesticide, in a concentration of 0.1772 mg/kg, which exceeds the maximum admissible limits, according to EU and MD standards, by 77.2%. In peas flowers, there were detectable concentrations of residues in only 7 pesticides, which constitutes 11.3%. The peas flowers in the researched industrial land were slightly polluted with the residues of the Glyphosate pesticide, in a concentration of 0.1088 mg/kg, which exceeds the maximum admissible limits, according to EU and MD norms, by 8.8%. In the maize flower samples, of the 62 pesticides tested, residues were detected in concentrations detectable only at 9 pesticides, which constitutes 14.5%. It was found that the maize flowers in the industrial land were heavily polluted with the residues of the neonicotinoid insecticide Thiametoxam at a concentration of 0.0178 mg/kg, which exceeds the maximum admissible limits, according to EU and MD standards, by 78.0%. Glyphosate residues in maize flowers were detected at hazardous (at the limit) concentrations of 0.0962 mg/kg, compared to the maximum admissible limits of 0.1 mg/kg. Therefore, the sites researched with rapeseed, peas and maize plantations are not conformity for organic beekeeping, because the flowers of these crops are polluted with residues of dangerous pesticides, banned by the EU, which can affect the health of bees and inoffensiveness bee products.
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