In this fascinating book, Graham Matthews takes the reader through the history of the development and use of chemicals for control of pests, weeds, and vectors of disease. Prior to 1900 only a few chemicals had been employed as pesticides but in the early 1940s, as the Second World War raged, the insecticide DDT and the herbicide 2-4-D were developed. These changed everything. Since then, farmers have been using a growing list of insecticides, herbicides and fungicides to protect their crops. Their use has undoubtedly led to significant gains in agricultural production and reduction in disease transmission, but also to major problems: health concerns for both users of pesticides and the general public, the emergence of resistance in pest populations, and environmental problems. The book examines the development of legislation designed to control and restrict the use of pesticides, the emergence of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and the use of biological control agents as part of policy to protect the environment and encourage the sustainable use of pesticides. Finally, the use of new technologies in pest control are discussed including the use of genetic modification, targeted pesticide application and use of drones, alongside basic requirements for IPM such as crop rotations, close seasons and adoption of plant varieties with resistance to pests and diseases.

Abstract: This comprehensive reference book examines in depth insect, plant pathogen and weed pest management in agriculture. Practical integrated pest management (IPM) information on cultural, biological and environmental pest control is provided. Major chemical and nonchemical pest control issues including estimated losses of agricultural crops and livestock to pests; pesticide resistance; impacts of pesticides on the environment; and assessments of the effectiveness, benefits and risks of pesticide use and pest control methods are covered.

Advances in Pesticide Science: Abstracts and Addendum documents the proceedings of the Fourth International Congress of Pesticide Chemistry held in Zurich on July 24-28, 1978. This book discusses the synthesis of isocoumarins and their biological activities; structure-activity correlations in control of membrane-bound linolenic acid with substituted pyridazinones; and oxidative processes in pesticide transformation. The cardiovascular and neurotoxicity of endosulfan; chemistry and plant growth regulating activity of fusicoccin derivatives and analogs; and pesticide interactions with naturally occurring food components are also elaborated. This compilation likewise covers the techniques for deriving realistic estimates of pesticide intakes; confirmation tests for pesticides based on gas chromatographic techniques; surfactants in flowable formulations; and thin-layer densitometry. This publication is a good reference for biologists and chemists researching on pesticides and its relation to food and the environment.

Fusarium wilt of banana: some history and current status of the disease; Importante of fusarium wilt in different banana-growing regions; Taxonomy of fungi in the genus fusarium with emphasis on fusarium oxysporum; Genetic exchange within sexual and asexual populations of the genus fusarium; Molecular genetics of plant pathogenic fusarium oxysporum; Using karyotype variability to investigate the origins and relatednes of isolates of fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense; Population biology of fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense; Biological control of diseases caused by fusarium oxysporum; Influence of mineral nutrition on fusarium wilt: a proposed mechanism involving cell water relations; Host responses to the pathogen; Banana breeding and fusarium wilt; Breeding bananas and plantains for resistance to fusariu m wilt: the track record; Somaclonal resistance in cavendish banana to fusarium wilt; Baseline tissue and cell culture studies for use in banana improvement schemes.

Vol. 7, no. 2-9 includes Section B: fungicides.

New Pesticides and Soil Sensors, a volume in the Nanotechnology in the Agri-Food Industry series, is a practical resource that demonstrates how nanotechnology is a highly attractive tool that offers new options for the formulation of ‘nanopesticides’. Recent advances in nanopesticide research is reviewed and divided into several themes, including improvement of the water solubility of poorly soluble pesticide active ingredients to improve bioavailability and the encapsulation of pesticide active ingredients within permeable nanoparticles with the aim of releasing pesticide active ingredients in a controlled or targeted manner, while also protecting active ingredients from premature photo-degradation. Provides examples of pesticide formulations that contain inorganic and organic nanoparticles Includes general principles and the most recent applications of chemical sensors and multisensory systems for the assessment of soils and main soil nutrition component detection Presents the main benefits and drawbacks of chemical sensors and their employment in soil analysis for further applications Describes current issues of pesticide use, environmental contamination, bioaccumulation, and increases in pest resistance which demands a reduction in the quantity of pesticides applied for crop and stored product protection

Production and use of pesticides - Toxic effects of pesticides - Short and long-term health effects of pesticides : epidemiological data - Populations at risk - Public health impact - Prevention of pesticide poisoning.

Environmental-friendliness, issues of public health, and the pros and cons of genetically-modified crops all receive regular coverage in the world's media. This, in turn, has led to increased questioning and investigation of chemical pesticides. Stenersen's concise and timely introduction to chemical pesticides describes these compounds according to their mode of action at the cellular and biochemical level. Chemical Pesticides provides answers to questions such as why pesticides are toxic to the target organism and why pesticides are toxic to some organisms and not others. It describes how various poisons interfere with biochemical processes in organisms. The book also explores how resistance to pesticides develops, how resistance can be used to illustrate the theory of evolution, and how it can be used to produce herbicide-resistant crop plants. Legal matters and potential environmental problems are also discussed. By providing an integrated, yet simple description of modern chemical pesticides, the author provides a relevant text for professionals and students in biological disciplines such as biochemistry, medicine, agriculture, and veterinary science.

Concern about health effects from exposure to pesticides in foods is growing as scientists learn more about the toxic properties of pesticides. The Delaney Clause, a provision of the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, prohibits tolerances for any pesticide that causes cancer in test animals or in humans if the pesticide concentrates in processed food or feeds. This volume examines the impacts of the Delaney Clause on agricultural innovation and on the public's dietary exposure to potentially carcinogenic pesticide residues. Four regulatory scenarios are described to illustrate the effects of varying approaches to managing oncogenic pesticide residues in food.