Tool guides pesticide decisions
The NQ Dry Tropics Sugarcane Team recently hosted an info session in Ayr, bringing together local agronomists and industry reps with experts from the Queensland Government’s Paddock to Reef Program and the University of Queensland.
The spotlight? A new decision-making tool called the pesticide projector.
This tool is designed to help farmers and advisors weigh up their pesticide choices—not just based on the usual factors like cost, effectiveness, pest target, and agronomic advice—but with one more important consideration in the mix: how each chemical affects aquatic environments.
The idea for the tool came from a need to better communicate the complexities of chemical toxicity.
Backed by a huge database, it doesn’t tell users what to choose — it simply compares pesticides side by side, showing how they stack up in terms of environmental impact, particularly on waterway health.
The session gave developers a chance to run through how it works and gather valuable feedback from those working on the ground, before the next stage: rolling it out to resellers and growers.
Tool calculates aquatic risk score
The Pesticide Projector Tool is a decision-making tool that helps users choose pesticide active ingredients with lower potential harm to aquatic ecosystems. It calculates aquatic risk scores for nearly 100 active ingredients by combining their persistence, mobility, and biological effects.
Higher scores indicate greater risk to aquatic plants and animals. Users can compare the relative aquatic risk of different tank mixes or application regimes, aiding in safer pesticide selection.
The tool also links directly to the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority product database for easy access to labels and registration details. Originally developed for the sugarcane industry, it now supports a broader range of crops.
