Pesticides

What is a pesticide?

Pesticide is a substance or a mixture of substances, intended for averting, controlling or destroying any pest counting vectors of animal or human diseases, superfluous species of flora and fauna.

How are pesticides classified?

Pesticides are classified as per their use & type of applications as fungicides, insecticides or herbicides. Insecticides make up the major share of pesticides use in India that comprises both of preventive treatments applied before the recognition of infestation levels & intervention treatments based on the monitored infestation levels & predictable crop damages.

Effects of Pesticides

Lately, escalating awareness has been drawn to environmental problems and health hazards that are caused by unabated use of pesticides. Health hazards are direct & indirect. The beleaguered pests build up resistance towards them. Due to this, higher doses of more & more lethal chemicals have to be applied.

Use of pesticides and fertilizers brings about physiological alterations in plants leading to burgeoning of several pests. Pesticides application needs a methodical approach & Integrated Pest Management. Owing to above reasons, what is now advocated is not just pest annihilation but economical consumption of pesticidal chemicals with least ecological indemnity. Integrated Pest Management comprises of pest monitoring, organizing demonstration, endorsement of biological control of pests, awareness & training of Integrated Pest Management technology.