Efeitos sub-letais dos pesticidas agrícolas e seus impactos no manejo de polinizadores dos agroecossistemas brasileiros

Abstract

International standards used as parameters for laboratory studies on the risks of agricultural pesticides to pollinators are concentrated primarily in the mortality of honey bees (Apis mellifera), which are the pollinators most commonly used in agriculture. However, sub-lethal effects due to the exposure of honey bees to low levels of doses and/ or applications, especially in the long term, are little known and have not been considered for discussion in risk assessment studies. This paper reviews the available literature on the sub-lethal effects of pesticides on pollinators, particularly bees, aiming to interpret and correlate the results obtained under conditions of laboratory tests, semi-field and field to the conditions of specific Brazilian agroecosystems and to define appropriate strategies for their management.