Environmental Issues in Straw Mushroom Farming In Dong Thap Province, Vietnam

Abstract

This study investigates the technical process and identify

environmental and public health issues related to the use of

pesticides and waste treatment in straw mushroom farming in Dong

Thap province using field survey and direct interview with 30

farmers in the study area. The results showed that the farmers often

use pesticides in the transplanting spawn and covering the straw

beds stages. They often applied various types of pesticides belonging

to toxicity categories II, III and IV according to World Health

Organization (WHO) classification, with 10 active ingredients, in

which the Trichlorfon and Fipronil were banned from using. It was

found that the pesticides including Sumithion 50 EC, COMCAT

150WP, Tiginon 5gr were used in the straw mushroom cultivation

and the time interval between the spraying and the harvest of the

mature mushroom was not safe for human consumption according

to the safety duration labeled on the pesticide bottles’ instruction.

This leads to risks to consumers’ health. Moreover, the treatment of

bottles and packages of the pesticides after use by burning, selling

to venders and disposing were improper. The findings of the present

study revealed that straw mushroom farming potentially pose risk to

surrounding environments and health. Therefore, it is necessary to

organize training on advanced farming techniques as well as

awareness raising for farmers to minimize these risks.