Trees, flowers, gardens and plants are a part of our everyday life. Trees provide shade, beauty and resources for paper product. Gardens, farm land and plants provide food and are also can be a source of beauty. However, trees, flowers, gardens and plants have a natural enemy – insects. Insects in the air and in the soil can be harmful to anything planted. In addition to insects, weeds, birds and other forces can be harmful to the health of plants and trees.
Scientist have developed ways to keep insects from destroying plants and trees through the use of pesticides. Pesticides act as a deterrent to anything that can be harmful to growing plants and trees, which enables them to stay healthy. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) which is a worldwide agricultural agency of the United Nations, describes a pesticide as:
“any substance or mixture of substances intended for preventing, destroying or controlling any pest, including vectors of human or animal disease, unwanted species of plants or animals causing harm during or otherwise interfering with the production, processing, storage, transport or marketing of food, agricultural commodities, wood and wood products or animal feedstuffs, or substances which may be administered to animals for the control of insects, arachnids or other pests in or on their bodies. The term includes substances intended for use as a plant growth regulator, defoliant, desiccant or agent for thinning fruit or preventing the premature fall of fruit, and substances applied to crops either before or after harvest to protect the commodity from deterioration during storage and transport.”
While the use of pesticides have been an effective way to maintain the health of plants, trees and other garden items, they do have a downside. Pesticides can consist of a chemical substance or a biological agent, which can prove to be toxic to animals and humans. Because of the potential for harm through the use of pesticides, governments have strict regulations on pesticides. All pesticides used must be categorized by toxicity level, with pesticides within a lower level of toxicity only be available for use by homeowners and non-professionals.
However, due to the environmental concerns associated with the use of pesticides, alternatives to pesticides have been adopted by many people. These alternatives include changing cultivation methods, introducing biological pest controls, genetic engineering and other methods. Some of the more common methods used include growing multiple types of plants (called polyculture), rotating crops on a regular basis and even drawing pests to a set area with the use of trap crops. Another alternative that has been successful is introducing a natural predator into an area to help eliminate the pest.
Pesticides have been an effective method to deter pests from damaging plants and trees. However, there are some risks associated with using them. Farmers, homeowners and others with plants and trees need to determine whether pesticides or natural alternatives to pesticides would be the best solution to their pest problems. To help identify all the advantages and disadvantages of each method, we have listed a collection of resources on the subject:
- General Pesticide Information – National Pesticide Information of Oregon State
- Pesticides – Information on the use of pesticides from Duke University
- Information About Pesticides – Database of information from the Extension Toxicology Network
- Pesticide Education Resources – From the University of Nebraska – Lincoln
- Pesticide Information – From the United States Environmental Protection Program
- Pesticide Health Concerns – Information on the health concerns from Medline
- Agricultural Pesticides – Information on agricultural pesticides from the EPA
- Pesticide Database – From the Pesticide Action Network
- Alternatives to Pesticides – Resources and information from the Pesticide Action Network North America
- Shoppers Guide to Pesticides – Information from the Environmental Working Group on pesticides and food
- Pest and Pesticide Management – From the Food and Agricultural Organizations of the United Nations
- Pesticide Regulation – Laws and information on safe storage, handling and use of pesticides
- Beyond Pesticides – Information on misuse of pesticides
- Pesticides and Health – Information on health related issues from Greenpeace
- Alternatives to Pesticides – Adobe PDF information on alternatives
- Pesticide Information Center – Information on various types of pesticides and alternatives
- Biopesticides – Use of synthetic and artificial pesticide information from the World Wildlife Federation
- Animal Testing of Pesticides – Q and A from the Humane Society about animals and pesticides
- Safe Use of Pesticides – British Journal of Industry Medicine article on pesticides
- Chemical Classes of Pesticides – Listing of the classification of pesticides