Pesticide impacts on soil life in southern Africa: Consequences for soil quality and food security

Abstract

Food security has become increasingly under threat, which is also the case in southern Africa. This food security threat is due to continuing population growth, a more protein-rich diet, and climate changes limiting food production. Optimal food production systems necessitating pesticide inputs become ever more crucial, for which good soil quality is essential. Soil organisms play an indispensable role in maintaining and improving soil quality. Therefore, we must know to what extent pesticides used in large- and small-scale agricultural systems in southern Africa could impact the abundance and activities of soil organisms. To this end, we did a bibliometric inventory of databases for relevant research papers. The resulting numbers of research papers are limited. It covers only a few soil species (mainly earthworms) and a limited number of pesticides (viz. copper oxychloride, chlorpyrifos, azinphos-methyl, carbofuran, and mancozeb). The results show that these pesticides applied under field conditions can damage soil life. However, data about the impacts of the most used pesticides in southern Africa are still lacking. Therefore, there is a need to fill these data gaps with research on other soil species and more pesticides. Is it possible to rely on research in other parts of the world using correction factors? Or is additional research in southern Africa needed?

Keywords

• Pesticides
• Soil life
• Southern Africa
• Soil quality
• Food security