While following manufacturer’s instructions and adhering to GAPs is enough to reduce some inefficiencies in pesticide use, it’ll only get you so far. And while it may be improbable to eliminate the impact of pesticides entirely, with technology we can certainly mitigate it further! We’ll start by talking more conventional improvements to systems before moving […]
Category: Pesticides
Pesticides Part 5: Filling the knowledge GAP
Before we begin to propose the adoption new and upcoming technologies as a solution to pesticide pollution. The first step is simply adopting good agricultural practices (GAPs) with regards to pesticide use. What do I mean by that? Like what are GAPs and where can I get them from? Even without implementing new pesticide formulations […]
Pesticides Part 4: Pesticides as Pollutants
Due to the lack of restraint in how pesticides (for plants, insects, fungi etc.) are applied, it is unsurprising that pesticide and pesticide-related residues, are present in our environment. As pesticides are quite literally designed to kill, the issue comes from its impacts on non-target organisms. Ideally, an ‘ecologically safe’ pesticide should affect only its […]
Pesticides Part 3: Harping on about Herbicides
The most common idea that comes to mind when someone says pesticides is usually insecticides. However, agricultural ‘pests’ (i.e. any organisms that causes a loss in productivity) come in many forms including plants (weeds) and fungi. In fact, herbicides comprise the majority of pesticides used worldwide! Though the exact proportion of pesticide use may vary […]
Pesticides Part 2: An insight on Insecticides
When discussing pesticides, the mode-of-action in which they enact their effects is important as it determines the cost, efficacy and safety of a given pesticide plan. For insecticides, they can be categorised in a few ways: Based on their chemical composition, on their mode of entry, on their biological mode of action and on their […]
Pesticides Part 1: An introduction to pesticide pollution
With the FAO estimating that annually between 20 to 40 percent of global crop production are lost to pests, it is no surprise that pesticides have become a mainstay of modern farming, with approximately 5.6 billion pounds used worldwide. The use of pesticides reduces the effect of pest attacks diseases and weeds, thus contributing to […]