Technology of Application of Pesticides

The centre for Science and Technology of the Non-Aligned and Other Developing Countries (NAM S&T Centre) has brought out a publication entitled Technology of Application of Pesticides, which is based on the proceedings of an international workshop on the subject held at Kandy, Sri Lanka during June 23-26,2003. Chemical pesticides have contributed greatly to the increase of yields in agriculture by controlling pests and diseases and also towards checking the insect-borne diseases like malaria in the human health sector. However, their sporadic use has been leading to significant erosion not only to public health but also to food quality resulting in an impact load on the environment and hence the development of pest resistance. The latter is reducing their efficacy and consequently one has to continually search for other chemical pesticides that may be more toxic and expensive. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) several hundred thousand tons of dangerous and useless pesticides are currently plaguing the countries around the globe. Even worse, funds available for the cleanup of these obsolete pesticides are highly inadequate. On the other hand, the rise in cost of pesticides has also economic consequences both to the individual farmer and the nation. Through overuse and misuse there is considerable waste, adding to the cost and contributing to the adverse environmental and health consequences. This not only affects the user of pesticides but also the ecosystem in general by entering the food chain and polluting the water table and surface water. Unprecedented rise of cancer, chronic kidney diseases, suppression of the immune system, sterility among males and females, endocrine disorders, neurological and behavioral disorders, especially among children, have been attributed to chronic poisoning. Thus the formulation and applications of pesticide must be accurate in order to obtain the best possible result, which will help in reducing the pesticide load in the environment. Besides the status reports of the exports from 13 developing countries, this publication includes manuscripts and papers by eminent experts dealing with the technology of application of pesticides; usage of pesticides and occupational health; eco-friendly alternate strategies for the management of crop pests, diseases and weeds through biotechnological approaches; legislation governing the use of pesticides; technologies and alternative technologies; biological control etc. The publication also includes a set of recommendations made during the workshop.