What are the stakes for fodder in the management of the chlordecone crisis in the French West Indies ?
Quels sont les enjeux fourragers dans la gestion de la crise du chlordécone aux Antilles françaises ?
Abstract
The height of the forage harvest seems to be a determining factor in the contamination of cattle by chlordecone (CLD), which is not quantified in the part of the plant above 10 cm. Simulations based on a toxicokinetic model show that in order to respect the maximum value in cattle, the content in the forage must be lower than 10 mu g. kg(-1). This value is lower than the management threshold currently used for forage, which is aligned with the MRL for plant products (20 mu g. kg(-1)). Regarding the limit of quantification in plants (1 mu g. kg(-1)), it is sufficient for the management of the whole plant but does not currently allow progress on the knowledge of the contamination of the upper parts, while the literature shows a potential transfer in grasses to the tip of the leaves. Pending further results, the recommendation is not to cut too low (by grazing or mowing).