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A pesticide is a chemical used to control, to repel, to attract or to kill pests, for example, insects, weeds, birds, mammals, fish, or microbes, that are considered a nuisance. Pesticides are usually, but not always, poisons.
Examples of pesticides
- herbicides for destruction or development prevention of weeds
- fungicides for destruction or development prevention of fungi (example, QoI)
- insecticides for destruction or development prevention of insects
- Growth regulators to prevent excess growth of a plant (prevention of lodging in wheat)
- molluscicides (against snails...)
- acaricides or miticides against mites
- rodenticides for destruction or development prevention of rodents
- products favoring plant resistance...
Chemical engineers continually develop new pesticides to produce enhancements over previous generations of products.
DDT is an example of a once heavily used pesticide, while glyphosate today is the world's most used herbicide.
Some crops, such as Bt corn, are genetically engineered to create their own pesticides.
In the US, all materials intended for sale and use as pesticides must be registered with the EPA. The process may be long, complex, and expensive, because research must prove that the material is effective against the intended pest, yet safe to use. During the registration process a pesticide label is created, which has directions for proper use of the material. Use not consistent with the label is pesticide misuse.
 Filling a tank of pesticide for spraying Some pesticides are considered too hazardous for sale to the general public, and these are designated restricted use pesticides. Only certified applicators, who have taken a course and passed an examination, may purchase or apply restricted use pesticides. Records of sales and use are kept, and can be audited by the EPA.
"Read and follow label directions." is often quoted by extension agents, garden columnists and others teaching about pesticides. This is not merely good advice; it is the law, for the USA. Similar laws exist in much of the rest of the world. The Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act of 1972 (FIFRA) set up the current system of pesticide regulations. It was amended somewhat by the Food Quality Protection Act of 1996. Its purpose is to make pesticide manufacture, distribution and use as safe as possible. The most important point for users to understand is that it a violation to apply any pesticide in a manner not in accordance with the label for that pesticide. It is a crime to do so intentionally.
There are claims that pesticides present some danger to humans when used to control weeds or insects on food crops. This is one basis for the organic food movement. All food crops including many fruits and vegetables such as apples, peppers, celery, cherries, grapes, nectarines, peaches, pears, potatoes, red raspberries, spinach, and strawberries contain residual pesticides after being washed or peeled. These residues, permitted by (US) government safety standards, are regulated under set tolerance levels and are considered safe based on average daily consumption of these foods by adults and children. These consumption levels are based on scientifically sound risk assessment models that require pesticide manufacturers to produce extensive toxicological and residue research data in order to test pesticides prior to their registration for use on a particular food crop in the US.
Besides human health risks, pesticides also pose dangers to the environment. Non-target organisms can be severely impacted. In some cases where a pest insect normally has some controls from a beneficial insect predator or parasite, an insecticide application can kill both pest and beneficial. The control insect almost always takes longer to recover than the pest. Applications for adult mosquitoes, for example, may temporarily depress mosquito populations, but cause a larger population in the long run, by damaging controlling factors.
Misuse of pesticides can cause pollinator decline, which is a food supply issue.
Pesticides are tools of convenience and are highly efficient for producers who are in the business of mass food production. Pesticide safety education and pesticide applicator regulation are designed to protect the public from pesticide misuse, but do not eliminate all misuse. Reducing the use of pesticides and replacing high risk pesticides is the ultimate solution to reducing risks placed on our society from pesticide use. For over 30 years, there has been a trend in the United States and in many other parts of the world to use pesticides in combination with alternative pest controls. This use of integrated pest management (IPM) is now commonplace in US agriculture. With pesticide regulations that now put a higher priority on reducing the risks of pesticides in our food supply and emphasize environmental protection, old pesticides are being phased out in favor of new reduced risk pesticides. Many of these reduced risk pesticides include biological and botanical deriviatives and alternatives. As a result, old, more hazardous, pesticides are being phased out and replaced with pest controls that reduce these health and environmental risks. In addition, applicators are being encouraged to consider alternative controls and adopt methods that reduce the use of chemical pesticides. This process is an on-going process and will not solve all of our problems with pesticide use risks overnight.
See also
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