Fungicide on fruits, vegetables linked to sharp decline in beneficial insects: Australian study

SYDNEY, June 30 (Xinhua) — A widely used fungicide sprayed on fruits and vegetables worldwide is inflicting serious damage on beneficial insect populations, new research has revealed.
The study found that chlorothalonil, a widely used farm chemical, severely harms beneficial insects vital for pollination and ecosystem health, even at the lowest levels found on food, according to a release from Macquarie University in Sydney on Monday.
Researchers found that fruit flies exposed to chlorothalonil at levels typical of produce like cranberries and grapes produced 37 percent fewer eggs, with both male and female fertility affected, signaling a serious risk to long-term insect populations, according to the study’s lead author Darshika Dissawa, a PhD candidate from Macquarie’s School of Natural Sciences.
“We expected the effect to increase far more gradually with higher amounts. But we found that even a very small amount can have a strong negative effect,” said the study’s supervising author Associate Professor Fleur Ponton from Macquarie University.
Despite being banned in the EU, chlorothalonil is still widely and preventatively applied to orchards and vineyards in countries like Australia, according to the study published in Royal Society Open Science.
The findings add to evidence of steep global insect declines, raising concerns about the impact on pollinators and agriculture. Researchers also note a lack of regulatory studies on chlorothalonil’s effects, despite its widespread use.
The authors call for more sustainable farming methods, recommending reduced use of chemicals to give insect populations a chance to recover between treatments. Enditem