2. Key Concepts  Types and characteristics of pesticides  Pros and cons of using pesticides  Pesticide regulation in the US  Alternatives to chemical pesticides

3. 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

4. Pesticides: Types  Chemicals that kill undesirable organisms  Insecticides  Herbicides  Fungicides  Rodenticides See Table 23-1 p. 520

5. First Generation Pesticides  Primarily natural substances  Sulfur, lead, arsenic, mercury  Plant extracts: nicotine, pyrethrum

6. Second Generation Pesticides  Primarily synthetic organic compounds  Broad-spectrum agents  Narrow-spectrum agents See Table 23-1 p. 520  Persistence in the environment

7. The Case for Pesticides  Save human lives  Increase food supplies and lower costs  Work better and faster than alternatives  Health risks may be insignificant compared to benefits  Newer pesticides are becoming safer  New pesticides are used at lower rates

8. Characteristics of an Ideal Pesticide  Affects only target pests  Harms no other species  Breaks down quickly in the environment  No genetic resistance  Be more cost-effective than doing nothing

9. The Case Against Pesticides  Genetic resistance  Can kill non-target and natural control species  Can cause an increase in other pest species  The pesticide treadmill  Pesticides do not stay put  Can harm wildlife  Potential human health threats

10. 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)

11. Other Ways to Control Pests  Economic threshold  Adjusting cultivation practices  Use genetically-resistant plants  Biological pest control  Insect birth control  Hormones and pheromones  Ionizing radiation  Hot water

12. Integrated Pest Management  Ecological system approach  Reduce pest populations to economic threshold  Field monitoring of pest populations  Use of biological agents  Chemical pesticides are last resort

13. Why is Integrated Pest Management not More Widely Used?  Requires expert knowledge  Slower than conventional pesticides  Initial costs may be high  Hindered by government subsidies  Requires expert knowledge  Slower than conventional pesticides  Initial costs may be high  Hindered by government subsidies