How is chlorpyrifos used in farming?
Chlorpyrifos is used to kill insects that would otherwise damage crops and seeds. It can kill insects upon contact, or when it enters the insect’s body. The major use of chlorpyrifos in farming is to protect corn. It is also used to protect cotton crops and fruit trees against insects. Chlorpyrifos protects crops against a wide variety of insect pests such as aphids, corn borers and cutworms. It is also used to treat soils and seeds to protect seeds and young plants against insect damage. The farm use of chlorpyrifos in the 1990s doubled compared to the 1980s. In the years 1990 to 1993, it was estimated that over 14 million pounds of chlorpyrifos was used for agriculture each year in the US, ranking it as the tenth most highly used insecticide in the country. In the same time period, 218 thousand pounds of chlorpyrifos was used for agriculture each year in New York State (NYS). It is the eighth most highly used insecticide for agriculture in NYS. How is chlorpyrifos used in non-farm se
