Pesticides and Pest Control G. Tyler Miller’s Living in the Environment 13 th Edition Chapter 20 G. Tyler Miller’s Living in the Environment 13 th Edition Chapter 20

Objectives:  Identify the types and regulation of pesticides.  Evaluate the pros and cons of using pesticides.  Describe integrated pest management.

Pests  Compete with humans for food  Invade lawns and gardens  Destroy wood in houses  Spread disease  Are a nuisance  May be controlled by natural enemies

Pesticides: Types  Chemicals that kill undesirable organisms  Insecticides - DDT  Herbicides – 2,4-D; atrazine, glyphsophate  Fungicides  Rodenticides

First Generation Pesticides  Natural substances  Sulfur, lead, arsenic, mercury  Plant extracts: nicotine, pyrethrum  Plant extracts are degradable

Second Generation Pesticides  Primarily synthetic organic compounds  630 biologically-active compounds  Broad-spectrum agents  Narrow-spectrum agents  Target species

The Case for Pesticides  Save lives  Increase supplies and lower cost  Better and faster than alternatives  Health risks may be insignificant compared to benefits  Newer pesticides safer  New pesticides are used at lower rates

The Case Against Pesticides  Genetic resistance  Kill control species (nontarget)  Increase in other pest species  Pesticide treadmill  Mobility  Harm wildlife  Human health threats Year Number of species Boll weevilGypsy moth caterpillar Insects and mites Weeds Plant disea ses

Characteristics of an Ideal Pesticide  Kill only target  Harm no other species  Break down quickly  No genetic resistance  Be more cost-effective than doing nothing

Pesticide Regulation in the United States  Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA)  Tolerance levels  EPA Evaluation of chemicals  Inadequate and poorly enforced  Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA)

Integrated Pest Management  Ecosystem approach  Economic threshold  Field monitoring  Biological agents  Pesticides are last resort

Biological Components of IPM  Genetically-resistant plants  Biological pest control  Insect birth control  Hormones and pheromones

Goal of IPM Fig p. 520

Objectives:  Identify the types and regulation of pesticides.  Evaluate the pros and cons of using pesticides.  Describe integrated pest management.