What are pesticides used for?
Pesticides are just one of a number of ways that farmers can use to help reduce the number of pests to an acceptable level. Most people think of pesticides as chemicals used by farmers to protect crops. These pesticides may be described as herbicides or weedkillers and insecticides, those that kill insect pests. We also use these types of pesticide when gardening. Councils use them in parks. They are sprayed on railway lines and roads to keep them clear of weeds. As well as being used to protect crops whilst they are growing, pesticides can be used throughout the growing cycle of plants. The soil may be treated with a soil sterilant before the crop is planted to destroy any weeds or moulds which could damage the seed or the plant or compete with it for nutrients from the soil. Seeds themselves may be treated with pesticides to prevent the growth of moulds. During growth so-called growth regulators and desiccants may be used to control the growth rate of the crop. The harvested crop may
