The study, "Results of Monitoring Shallow Groundwater in Missouri for Four Agricultural Pesticides," consisted of taking a total of 351 samples from 190 wells around the state and testing each sample for eight different pesticides. Of the wells analyzed, 98 percent reported no pesticides. Only four wells tested positive, yet those levels were still below the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) standards for safe drinking water.

"Farmers are being good stewards of the land," says Gary Marshall, chief executive officer with the Missouri Corn Growers Association (MCGA). "They are lowering the usage of pesticides, utilizing safe bio-technology products, and closely managing their nutrient and pesticide uses to make sure they stay in the fields."

Thanks to the efforts of Missouri corn growers and industry partners, Missouri has implemented procedures which have resulted in continually improving surface water quality over the last 10 years. These practices evolved from the Watershed Research, Assessment and Stewardship Project (WRASP) undertaken by MCGA, MoDNR, EPA and Syngenta Crop Protection.

The WRASP project began in 1998 with the purpose of collecting scientific information on pesticide management and successfully concluded in 2005. With sound research in hand and best management practices in place, every lake and stream in the program exhibited an average decline in herbicide and nutrient concentrations.

Just as WRASP collected needed data for the best methodology of managing atrazine, the next step, the Stewardship Implementation Project (SIP), is doing the same for nitrogen and phosphorous. Managed by MCGA’s sister organization, the Environmental Resources Coalition, individuals’ participation in SIP significantly reduces the loss of herbicides and fertilizer into nearby surface water sources.

"These latest results indicate that herbicide use is no problem at all in wells, paralleling the results we have seen in surface water," commented Marshall. "Thanks to projects such as WRASP and SIP, we have already seen a decline of herbicide residue in lakes and streams. We see this as a tremendous water quality accomplishment that illustrates the success and importance of the daily stewardship of Missouri farmers."