There is growing concern among scientists, farmers and the general public that pesticides are being applied ever more widely but with less and less discretion. This book brings together a range of experts to discuss how crop protection chemicals can be used more rationally, so as to maximise benefits in yield and quality while minimising environmental and economic costs. The book is based on the ninth Long Ashton Symposium and is organised into four sections. The first, environment, examines to what extent current pesticide use is affecting the environment and human welfare, and what changes in practice are justified. The second, application, assesses progress in performance and safety in the use of pesticides, while the next section, resistance, looks at problems and shortcomings arising from the appearance of resistant strains of pests, and considers strategies for surmounting these difficulties. The final section, forecast and pest management, asks whether existing methods of assessing risks are acceptable and seeks ways of rending decision making in crop protection more rational.

A compelling book about ethics and choices, Nature Wars shows us the difference between protecting ourselves from real pests and poisoning ourselves and the planet.

Optimising Pesticide Use brings together the wide range of scientific disciplines necessary to ensure best practice through monitoring what is used and improving how it is formulated and applied. The book provides: An in-depth exploration of pesticide optimisation from the view point of industry and research scientist A case study on the development of a new range of active chemistries from bacteria A discussion of complementary pest control methods This text will provide essential information to workers in the pesticide industry and regulatory community who need to be aware of current thinking and advancements in the optimal use of pesticidal compounds and systems, as well as environmental organisations and aid development organisations.

Widespread use of broad-spectrum chemical pesticides has revolutionized pest management. But there is growing concern about environmental contamination and human health risksâ€"and continuing frustration over the ability of pests to develop resistance to pesticides. In Ecologically Based Pest Management, an expert committee advocates the sweeping adoption of ecologically based pest management (EBPM) that promotes both agricultural productivity and a balanced ecosystem. This volume offers a vision and strategies for creating a solid, comprehensive knowledge base to support a pest management system that incorporates ecosystem processes supplemented by a continuum of inputsâ€"biological organisms, products, cultivars, and cultural controls. The result will be safe, profitable, and durable pest management strategies. The book evaluates the feasibility of EBPM and examines how best to move beyond optimal examples into the mainstream of agriculture. The committee stresses the need for information, identifies research priorities in the biological as well as socioeconomic realm, and suggests institutional structures for a multidisciplinary research effort. Ecologically Based Pest Management addresses risk assessment, risk management, and public oversight of EBPM. The volume also overviews the history of pest managementâ€"from the use of sulfur compounds in 1000 B.C. to the emergence of transgenic technology. Ecologically Based Pest Management will be vitally important to the agrichemical industry; policymakers, regulators, and scientists in agriculture and forestry; biologists, researchers, and environmental advocates; and interested growers.

Although chemical pesticides safeguard crops and improve farm productivity, they are increasingly feared for their potentially dangerous residues and their effects on ecosystems. The Future Role of Pesticides explores the role of chemical pesticides in the decade ahead and identifies the most promising opportunities for increasing the benefits and reducing the risks of pesticide use. The committee recommends R&D, program, and policy initiatives for federal agriculture authorities and other stakeholders in the public and private sectors. This book presents clear overviews of key factors in chemical pesticide use, including: Advances in genetic engineering not only of pest-resistant crops but also of pests themselves. Problems in pesticide useâ€"concerns about the health of agricultural workers, the ability of pests to develop resistance, issues of public perception, and more. Impending shifts in agricultureâ€"globalization of the economy, biological "invasions" of organisms, rising sensitivity toward cross-border environmental issues, and other trends. With a model and working examples, this book offers guidance on how to assess various pest control strategies available to today's agriculturist.

PESTICIDE APPLICATION METHODS Pesticide Application Methods is the standard work for all those involved in crop protection. This fully revised and expanded edition provides up-to-date information on the different types of application techniques and how they should be used to ensure efficient and effective pest control. The third edition of this excellent book was published more than 10 years ago, since when a number of important developments have taken place. Examples include changes to legislation both in the EU and USA concerning water quality. This has an impact on how spray is applied and, more particularly, how the sprayer is designed to minimise quantities that remain in the equipment when spraying is completed, and in addition inform how and when the sprayer is cleaned. Concern about spray drift has also continued and has led to more research on how to reduce the amount of spray that moves downwind from a treated area. Important new information on this topic is included within the new edition. Professor Graham Matthews has been joined by two new co-authors to increase the breadth and depth of coverage in this updated edition of Pesticide Application Methods. This important new edition is a commercially significant reference tool and will be of great use and interest to all those working in crop protection, including agricultural entomologists and plant pathologists, pesticide scientists, advisors and consultants, large-scale growers, agricultural and horticultural scientists, agrochemical industry personnel including those involved in equipment supply and product formulation. Libraries in government and commercial research establishments, universities and agricultural colleges where agricultural and biological sciences are studied and taught should have multiple copies of this definitive book on their shelves.