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<p>The objectives of the proposed study are as follows:</p>
<ol type="i">
<li>Determine the presence of pesticide residues and pathogenic organisms on fresh fruit and Vegetables, and establish their occurrence levels (below or above established tolerance limits). This will involve entomological, microbiological and chemical analyses.</li>
<li>Determine the IPM knowledge base and marketing characteristics among small growers and estimate expenditure on pesticides as well as revenue from operations. A questionnaire will be developed and used in a survey.</li>
<li>Determine and deploy appropriate mitigation actions (e.g. training in safe use of pesticides, alternatives to insecticides and crop scouting; basics of HACCP).</li>
<li>Make an assessment of the economic cost-benefits of any proposed interventions.</li>
</ol>
<p>Products, Results and Measurable Outcomes and Benefits Resulting from the Project:<br />
The proposed project is expected to yield a number of important products, but most significant will be the creation of a set of guidelines to eliminate or minimize the presence of pathogenic microorganisms and pesticides residues in our food value chain. There will be a cost-benefit scenario associated with this so that the consumer can make educated decisions on whether to follow the guidelines or not. New methods for assessing pesticide residues in farm produce will become available to the public. All of these constitute new knowledge that will become part of the literature on IPM and Food safety. If the findings are put into practice food safety will be greatly improved in farm produce grown in Alabama, and consumers at large would be the beneficiaries. This will be measured through change in farmers behavior demonstrated by an understanding and use of IPM and HACCP. In this type of project, adoption of either IPM or HACCP will be minimal after only three years of project implementation; however, there should be a clear trend in that direction. Projects such as these create an opportunity for a better quality of life for the farm community since food safety is inextricably linked to health and well-being. Without studies such as this, it is easy for the unsuspecting consumer to continue to assume that produce sold in direct marketing outlets (such as Farmers markets) is free from microbial and pesticide contamination and thus safe to eat. This study will enlighten the public on the degree of safety of such farm produce. It is expected that more farmers will be in a better position to make informed decisions as to whether to use pesticides, and if so what products to use and how to do so responsibly. More farmers should become conversant with IPM technologies and the proper and safe use of pesticides. Our preliminary results showed that over 80 percent were not fully aware of IPM.</p>
<p>NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: The safety of our agriculture and food systems can be compromised by the presence of both pathogenic microorganisms (such as Listeria sp., Salmonella sp., E. coli) and pesticide residues. Many small farmers are not adequately informed of the dangers of pesticides and microbial contaminants and how to reduce the risks imposed by them. This raises doubts as to the safety of farm produce. This proposal seeks to increase awareness and understanding of the safety of farm produce in Alabama and how any concerns can be minimized or eliminated. The project proposes to collect baseline information on IPM and HACCP through a survey of farmers, and conduct experiments to determine the level of contamination by pathogenic organisms and insecticides. Finally a solution for mitigation will be developed and deployed.</p>
<p>APPROACH: The proposed study has two parts - an assessment phase and the deployment of interventions to improve food safety.</p>
<p>Objective 1: Selected vegetables and fruits commonly grown in Alabama will be obtained from Farmers Markets, chain groceries and roadside vendors from Black Belt counties and up to 6 non-Black Belt counties during the summer and fall. -- Entomological Testing (Tuskegee University, Auburn University) -- Insecticide bioassays will be set up to develop a rapid screen for insecticide residues on the produce using the firebrat, the southern green stink bug, and the leaf-footed bug. Samples from local groceries will be used as the standards for comparison. Mortality after 24h, 48 and 72 h will be monitored and LD50 values determined for each insecticide on each commodity. Electronic feeding study: an Electronic Penetration Graph (EPG) monitor system will be used to study the feeding behavior of the two plant sucking bugs on produce treated with different levels of insecticide. This will determine the least amount of pesticide residue that will elicit feeding without killing the test insect. Waveforms thus obtained will be compared with those obtained with untreated produce to formulate standard waveforms for rapidly assessing pesticides residue levels on produce. b. Microbiological Evaluations for pathogenic microorganisms (Tuskegee University) Fresh vegetables and fruits from the same sources as in (a) above will be used in experiments to detect the presence of E. coli and Salmonella using the most current quality assessment technology available in the industry. c. Chemical Analysis (Tuskegee University) -- A method is proposed to chemically assess the presence of pesticide residues on vegetable and fruit grown in Alabama. The proposed method uses focused microwave assisted extraction and solid phase micro-extraction coupled with GC-MS to analyze the pesticide residues in fruit and vegetable samples. Major pesticides will be included in our analyses.</p>
<p>Objective 2: A survey of small farmers in the Black Belt and surrounding counties will be undertaken to identify general crop protection practices by farmers and determine familiarity of farmers with IPM and identifying the safety concerns and the marketing characteristics of farmers. Standard analytical methods will be used to analyze the data.</p>
<p>Objective 3: (a) Farmer Training: Two workshops for growers and Agents will be conducted to train growers in pesticide usage. Training sessions will also serve as certification or re-certification opportunities for Extension Agents. (b) Field evaluation of reduced-risk pesticides: Field testing will be conducted initially in Tuskegee and later on-farm to evaluate environmentally friendly insecticides and insecticide technology that uses toxic insecticides and semiochemicals to attract and kill pests. The experimental design will be a RBD or Split-Block with four replications. Pest and natural enemy abundance and dynamics will be monitored.</p>
<p>Objective 4: Enterprise budgets will be developed and used to determine and compare the economic profitability of the different measures of interventions for different agro-ecosystems and food systems.</p>