The global use of pesticides has increased by more than 57% compared to 1990, with 2.7 million tons consumed yearly. This growing amount of pesticides, especially highly toxic and persistent products, accumulates in plant parts, water, soil, and biota, negatively affecting the environment. Compelling evidence shows that on—and off-farm pesticide applications are major drivers of biodiversity decline. Therefore, it is imperative to identify which pesticide molecules represent the most significant hazard to generate mitigation strategies. Beneficial arthropods are vital in apple production. The ecosystem services provided by these species favor pest regulation, pollination, soil fertility, and yield. In this presentation, we will show how pesticide records and residues in the soil and the plants correlate with the diversity and abundance of soil arthropods and pollinators in 20 apple orchards in New York State. In addition, we will show how we used these data to calculate and evaluate the Environmental Impact Quotient as a tool to indicate potential pesticide risk.
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