Precision Application of Pesticides: Challenges, Opportunities, and Impacts on Crop Production Sustainability

Targeted precision application (PA) of pesticides has significant benefits for growers and to the environment by potentially reducing pesticide inputs by up to 90% without decreasing efficacy. Adoption of commercial sense-and-act PA systems is rapidly gaining in North America and other countries. However, incorporating the benefits of PA into risk assessment and risk mitigation of pesticides poses significant challenges. This paper summarizes collective perspectives from around fifty multidisciplined participants in a workshop to address these challenges and future opportunities of PA. It also addresses uncertainties and prospects such as pesticide resistance management, adoption by small growers, label language for targeted PA, and standards for testing PA equipment. The workshop participants identified necessary research, models, tools, and datasets for developing a framework to consider PA in pesticide regulation. Because of the complexity, collaboration among various stakeholders is needed to continue to realize benefits within the regulatory process. This collaboration is key to improved understanding of current commercially available precision spray systems used to apply herbicides in row crops as well as pesticides and foliar products in orchards, vineyards, and nursery crops. Moreover, it is essential to continue building collaborative momentum resulting in innovations in targeted PA technologies, thereby bringing the value of PA to all stakeholders to enhance the environmental sustainability and benefits for consumers and society.