Some months back, I went to visit a friend of mine on her farm and she offered me some fruits as a kind a gesture and as I was about to take a bite of the good looking cucumber when I noticed her workers spraying a liquid substance on the cucumber farm. I beckoned on one of them to confirm what they were spraying and I was told it was an insecticide. and he went further to confirm that was the reason for the fresh looking fruit.Before I left the farm, four market women came to purchase the products.
I went home bittered thinking about the number of people that would be consuming the fruits that day or the next. I wanted to scream what about the withdrawal harvest period people but I realised they were only working on the knowledge they had. I made it a life mission to inform them of the harm and damage caused by inappropriate use of these chemical and not observing the withdrawal period for harvest on the human body and how it even sometimes affect the taste and shelf life of the vegetables or fruits.
The starting point of residue management in crop cultivation is creation of strong PPUs (Proposed Pesticide Usage) list.
The most important parameter is the matching of the Pre Harvest Interval (PHI) (in days) of the chemical with the Natural Harvest Interval (NHI) (in days) of any crop. Where, PHI is also known as the Waiting Period.
PHI is the period that starts on the day the chemical pesticide is sprayed up till the time the chemical residue remains on the crop/fruit. In that duration the chemicals on the plant breaks down through the biological process while the fruit/vegetable is attached to the ground or the plant. Only after the lapse of the PHI will the crop/fruit be free from any chemical residue and will be considered fit for human and animal consumption.
tosinawoyinka 