The effect of different leaf textures on the difenoconazole EC10% dislodgeable foliar residues (DFR)

Pesticides are a vital tool in meeting the challenge of feeding the rapidly increasing world population. However, it is crucial that they are used in a way that does not compromise the safety of humans or the environment. To this end, rigorous risk assessment for those exposed to pesticides is carried out to satisfy the regulatory requirements. Non-dietary risk assessments mandate estimating the amount of residue which can be transferred from plant foliage to the skin or clothes known as dislodgeable foliar residues (DFRs).DFR data scarcity, the costly and seasonal characteristics of the DFR studies obstacle the extrapolation between DFR studies among different crops/leaves. This paper studies the effect of the leaf texture on the intensity of DFRs using difenoconazole EC10% on different crops (i.e., French bean, soybean, tomato, oilseed rape, and wheat) in the laboratory. The effect of the leaf texture showed a significant difference among all tested crops highlighting the importance of this factor in determining the intensity of the DFR. It is hoped that this study shed the light on the importance of the leaf texture as a major factor affecting DFR and would allow further data generation. This will help both the regulatory bodies and the pesticide registerer to take better decisions in extrapolating between the studies saving time, money, and resources during the registration process.