Pesticides. Although all the pesticides and active ingredients that are registered have their negative effects on our environment, Scientifics are trying to develop new pesticides using natural resources;

Authors Avatar

Searching for a New Weapon

         Nowadays, Scientifics search and try of developing new methods to be implemented in the Agriculture; also, they are looking for how to improve the products that already exist to get better result obtaining less negative effects. This is the case of pesticides that are used to kill insects and little animals that destroy farms. Due to these problems called “pestes”, many farmers have had millionare losses every year so, the use of pesticides on farms decrease the number of pestes and parasites that attack the harvests. However, the feedback for the use of pesticides is that they provoke several environmental bad consequences and also consequences in our health.

        The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has regulated about 891 physiologically active ingredients and manufactured in quantity. For example, these are four of the most heavily applied pesticides: Atrazine (H) ², metolachlor, metam sodium (F, H, I, N, SFm), and methyl bromide (Fm). Also, The Texas Department of Agriculture has classificated pesticides in three types according to their effects and toxicity level:

        General use – are those that can be bought by everyone and do not need license to be distributed.

Join now!

        Restricted use – use by certified pesticide applicators.

        State limited use Pesticides or Regulated Herbicides – affect non-targeted vegetation.

Pesticides are divided in different classes; for example, Acancide (kills mites), Biocide (kill microorganisms), Molluscicide (kills snails and slugs), ovicide (destroy eggs), rodenticide (kills rodents). These are some examples of different classes of pesticides, but there are more classes; however, each class of pesticides has its negative effect and tends to affect to non-targeted species (explanation of five of them and how they work).

        Asualm:        Class of chemical: carbamate

Chief pesticide use and status: herbicide

Persistence: negative

Immediate ...

This is a preview of the whole essay