In this fascinating book, Graham Matthews takes the reader through the history of the development and use of chemicals for control of pests, weeds, and vectors of disease. Prior to 1900 only a few chemicals had been employed as pesticides but in the early 1940s, as the Second World War raged, the insecticide DDT and the herbicide 2-4-D were developed. These changed everything. Since then, farmers have been using a growing list of insecticides, herbicides and fungicides to protect their crops. Their use has undoubtedly led to significant gains in agricultural production and reduction in disease transmission, but also to major problems: health concerns for both users of pesticides and the general public, the emergence of resistance in pest populations, and environmental problems. The book examines the development of legislation designed to control and restrict the use of pesticides, the emergence of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and the use of biological control agents as part of policy to protect the environment and encourage the sustainable use of pesticides. Finally, the use of new technologies in pest control are discussed including the use of genetic modification, targeted pesticide application and use of drones, alongside basic requirements for IPM such as crop rotations, close seasons and adoption of plant varieties with resistance to pests and diseases.
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Suitable for students of crop protection and pest management specialists, scientists working in the pesticides industry, countryside managers, members of NGOs and environmental campaign groups, conservationists and amateur naturalists.
Prologue: Before Pesticides 1: Pesticides in the Early Part of the 20th
Century 2: Application of Pesticides 3: Insecticides Post-1950 4: Herbicides
5: Fungicides 6: Other Pesticides 7: Resistance to Pesticides 8: Integrated
Pest Management 9: Health Issues 10: Regulations and the Manufacturers of
Pesticides and Related Organizations 11: Pesticides the Future Annex:
Common Name and Major Trade Name of Selected Pesticides
Graham Matthews was a research entomologist in Africa from 1958 -1967 working on cotton in Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) and Nysasland. He joined Imperial College in 1967 but was seconded to Malawi from 1968-72. He has since been involved with cotton during visits to many countries in Africa, including Egypt, Sudan, Cote D'Ivoire, and to India Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, China and Australia. His research has been primarily on pesticide application technology, extending from agriculture to vector control.
