How do farmers use pesticides?
Farmers use pesticides for many of the same reasons we use them in our homes, yards, and gardens. Some pesticides control insects, weeds, and diseases that could otherwise cause substantial crop losses. Other compounds enhance the appearance of a commodity. For example, certain organisms cause spotting on apples and oranges but do not affect the taste or nutritional value of the fruit. Since most of us prefer blemish-free fruit, farmers may use pesticides to eliminate these spot-causing pests. Still other pesticides control disease-carrying insects and animals or poisonous molds and fungi. Many farmers use pesticides as one part of a complex strategy called Integrated Pest Management (IPM) to control pests. Since pesticides are expensive, they are used only as a last resort. First, farmers plant crop varieties that are able to withstand certain pests. Then, farmers use a number of other nonpesticide strategies (see Figure 1) to decrease damage from pests, including: * Rotating crops to
