Biological pests are organisms that reduce the availability, quality, or value of resources useful to humans. Pesticides are chemicals intended to kill or drive away pests. Of the millions of species in the world, only about 100 kinds of animals, plants, fungi, and microbes cause most crop damage.
Humans have probably always known of ways to protect themselves from annoying creatures, but our war against pests entered a new phase with the invention of synthetic organic chemicals such as DDT. These chemicals have brought several important benefits, including increased crop production and control of disease-causing organisms.
Indiscriminate and profligate pesticide use also has caused many problems, such as killing nontarget species, creating new pests of organisms that were previously not a problem, and causing widespread pesticide resistance among pest species.
The U.S. EPA estimates that several million metric tons of pesticides are used worldwide each year. U.S. use of conventional pesticides is about 1.24 billion pounds, or about 20 percent of the global total for this category.
Often highly persistent and mobile in the environment, many pesticides move through air, water, and soil and bioaccumulate or bioconcentrate in food chains causing serious ecological and human health problems.
A number of good alternatives offer ways to reduce our dependence on dangerous chemical pesticides. Among these are behavioral changes such as crop rotation, cover crops, mechanical cultivation, and planting mixed polycultures rather than vast monoculture fields.
Consumers may have to learn to accept less than perfect fruits and vegetables. Biological controls such as insect predators, pathogens, or natural poisons specific for a particular pest can help reduce chemical use.
Genetic breeding and biotechnology can produce pest-resistant crop and livestock strains, as well. Integrated pest management (IPM) combines all of these alternative methods together with judicious use of synthetic pesticides under precisely controlled conditions.
Regulating pesticide use is a controversial subject. Many people fear that we are exposed to far too many dangerous chemicals. Industry claims that it could not do business without these materials.
The USDA recently promulgated a definition for organic food grown without the use of synthetic pesticides or fertilizers, under conditions that treat animals humanely and avoid use of antibiotics and growth hormones.
Many of the procedures and approaches suggested for agriculture and industry also work at home to protect us from pests and toxic chemicals alike. By using a little common sense, we can have a healthier diet, lifestyle, and environment.
