Description

Pesticides have undoubtedly helped to increase agricultural production
and control vectors of disease over the past fi ve decades, but there has been
increasing criticism since Rachel Carson alerted users to the side effects of
some pesticides in the environment. My own involvement dates back to
before Rachel Carson’s book Silent Spring as I was with a team of entomologists
seeking to control insect pests of cotton in Africa. We recognised then
that pesticides should only be used in conjunction with other control tactics,
a system recognised in the USA and much publicised as integrated pest
management. In the UK, authorities had also responded to early problems
due to use of highly toxic pesticides and the adverse effects of birds due to
organochlorine insecticides by establishing the voluntary Pesticides Safety
Precaution Scheme. While developed countries introduced registration of
pesticides, requiring detailed scientifi c data on which to base a risk analysis,
many other countries did not have the resources needed to operate a detailed
registration system. In consequence, highly toxic pesticides have been used
in many countries, especially in tropical areas where protective clothing, as
used in temperate climates, is unacceptably hot and uncomfortable to wear.
This has led to many cases of illness and death following exposure to these
highly toxic pesticides. These problems have been increasingly recognised
and efforts made to harmonise registration requirements. This book sets out
to emphasise that, apart from the correct choice of pesticide, it is the way it
is applied that impacts on people, either directly on those using the many
commercial products, but also others by the movement of pesticides in the
environment and as residues in harvested produce.
Application technology has largely been ignored, and it has been left
to engineers to design machinery that is easy to use and is as inexpensive
as possible for the user. It is, however, a complex multidisciplinary subject
which affects us all. Following the previous book Pesticide Application
Methods, which dealt with the different equipment that can be used, this book
explains how the registration process can avoid use of the pesticides that
pose a signifi cant risk to users and the environment, and how by a better
understanding of the subsequent movement of pesticides following application,
the risk of any adverse impact following their use can be minimised.
Today, carefully applied pesticides, used only when needed, can contribute
to higher productivity and allow us to feed and protect the growing human
population. This requires much better education and practical training
with certifi cation so that pesticides are indeed applied more accurately and with greater safety than in the past. It is hoped that this compilation
of data will help readers to have a better understanding of how pesticides
can be applied without harming the users and adverse pollution of their
environment. In addition, the overall management of pesticides, covering
packaging, storage and proper stock control, needs to be improved so as to
avoid having obsolete stocks of pesticides. Unfortunately, many countries
still have obsolete pesticides that need careful disposal to avoid pollution
of the environment.
There is a vast amount of information that has been published in scientifi
c journals and books, so only selected data have been used in writing the
chapters. More information is now available via the internet, not only from
offi cial web sites of government agencies and agrochemical companies but
also from pressure groups. However, care is needed in choosing appropriate
sources of information as sometimes only part of a story is reported.
As with many complex subjects these days, it is important that as holistic
approach as possible is taken to obtain the benefi ts of the technology while
minimising adverse effects.