Survey on the Management of Pesticides in Citrus Farms in Algeria

Pesticides are widely used in agriculture to improve product quality and increase yields. Algeria uses between 6000 and 10,000 tons of chemical pesticides per year (Madrp, Statistiques-agricoles. http://madrp.gov.dz/agriculture/ , 2022). The prospective study is based on phytosanitary surveys of 25 citrus farms and 25 distributors of phytosanitary products covering potential citrus growers in the western and central regions of Algeria during the months of December 2022 to March 2023. The aim is to find out how different types of pesticide are used in the region, and to try to estimate the risks to human health, the environment, and by-products of the citrus processing chain. The majority of citrus growers do not use correctly the personal protective equipment when applying pesticides. They are not very familiar with the management of pesticide packaging waste, which are mainly incinerated or left on the soil. The survey results show that the pesticides applications are mostly carried out over two periods, the first from February to June and the last from between August and October per crop cycle. The half part of the citrus growers has suffered from ingestion poisoning or respiratory problems because of the misuse of pesticides, and they can’t distinguish correctly between the active ingredient and the commercial name of the used pesticides. The farmers use insecticides in first position followed by acaricides, herbicides, and finally fungicides.