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Pest Control

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Outline

• Pests• Pesticides

Use and Types Benefits Problems Alternatives Reducing Exposure Regulating Use

• Organic Farming

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PESTS AND PESTICIDES

• Biological Pests - Organisms that reduce the availability, quality, or value of resources useful to humans. Only about 100 species of organisms

cause 90% of crop damage worldwide.- Insects are most frequent pests.

Make up three-fourths of all species. Generalists

Compete effectively against specialized endemic species.

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Pesticides

• Pesticide - Chemical that kills (repels) pests. Biocide - Kills wide range of organisms. Herbicide - Kills plants. Insecticide - Kills insects. Fungicide - Kills fungi. Acaricide - Kills mites, ticks, and spiders. Nematicide - Kills nematodes. Rodenticide - Kills rodents. Avicide - Kills birds.

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Conventional Pesticide Use

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Early Pest Controls

• Sumerians controlled insects with sulfur 5,000 years ago.

• Chinese describe mercury and arsenic to control pests 2,500 years ago.

• People have used organic compounds and biological controls for a long time. Romans burned fields and rotated crops to

reduce crop disease.

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Current Pesticide Use

• EPA estimates total pesticide use in the U.S. amounts to about 5.3 billion pounds annually. Roughly half is chlorine and hypochlorites

used for water purification. Roughly 80% of all conventional pesticides

applied in the U.S. are used in agriculture or food storage and shipping.

- Homes and gardens account for only about 8% of total pesticide use in the U.S..

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Pesticide Types

• Inorganic Pesticides - Broad-spectrum, generally highly toxic, and essentially indestructible. (arsenic - copper) Generally neurotoxins

• Natural Organic Pesticides (Botanicals) - Generally plant extracts. (nicotine - phenols)

• Fumigants - Small molecules that gasify easily and penetrate materials rapidly. (carbon tetrachloride - ethylene dibromide)

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Pesticide Types

• Chlorinated Hydrocarbons - Fast acting and highly toxic to sensitive organisms. (DDT and mothballs) Inhibit nerve membrane ion transport and

block nerve signal transmission. Persistent - Tend to biomagnify.

• Organophosphates - Extremely toxic to mammals, birds and fish. (Malathion) Outgrowth of nerve-gas research. Inhibit neurotransmitter enzyme.

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Pesticide Types

• Carbamates - Similar to organophosphates. (Sevin). - Extremely toxic to bees.

• Biological Controls Microbial agents Bacteria Parasitic wasps

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Pesticide Specifics

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Organochlorines

• chlorinated hydrocarbons, chlorinated organics, chlorinated insecticides, and chlorinated synthetics.

• The organochlorines are now primarily of historic interest, since few survive in today’s arsenal.

• DDT is the oldest known and best acting

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Silent Spring

• Rachel Carson, who you learned about in Chapter 1, is considered the “fountainhead of the environmental movement”.

• View the video “About Silent Spring” and answer the questions on the handout of the same title.

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PESTICIDE BENEFITS

• Disease Control Many insects serve as disease vectors.

- Malaria, Yellow Fever• Crop Protection

Using pesticides, pre-harvest losses to diseases and pests are at 30%, with post-harvest losses at an additional 20-30%.

In general, farmers save an average of $3-$5 for every $1 spent on pesticides.

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PESTICIDE PROBLEMS

• Non-Target Species Up to 90% of pesticides never reach

intended target.• Pesticide Resistance and Pest Resurgence

Resistant members of a population survive pesticide treatment and produce more resistant offspring.

- Pest Resurgence Pesticide Treadmill

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Creation of New Pests

• Broadcast spraying is also likely to kill beneficial predators. Under normal conditions many herbivorous

pests are controlled by natural predators.• With advent of chemical pest controls,

farmers have tended to abandon traditional methods of pest / pathogen control. Mixed crops and rotation regimes.

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Environmental Persistence and Mobility

• Because chlorinated hydrocarbons (DDT) are so persistent, they tend to show up far from the point of dispersal. Stored in fat bodies, and thus tend to

bioaccumulate.- High levels detected in upper levels of

food chain. DDT banned from US for over twenty

years, but high levels still detected in some areas.

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Environmental Persistence and Mobility

• Many persistent organic pollutants were banned globally in 2001. Use was banned or restricted in

developing countries for years, but between 1994 and 1996, the U.S. shipped more than 100,000 tons of DDT and POP’s annually.

- Many returned to U.S. in agricultural products and migrating wildlife.

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Human Health Problems

• WHO estimates 25 million people suffer pesticide poisoning, and 20,000 die each year. At least two-thirds resulting from

occupational hazards in developing countries.

Long-term health effects difficult to conclusively document.

- PCB’s have been linked to learning deficiencies in children.

Intake during mother’s pregnancy.

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ALTERNATIVES TO PESTICIDE USE

• Behavioral Changes Crop Rotation Mechanical Cultivation Flooding Fields Habitat Diversification Growing in Pest-Free Zones Adjusting Planting Times Plant Mixed Polycultures Integrated Pest Management

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Alternatives to Pesticides

• Biological Controls Predatory / Herbivorous Insects Genetics and Bioengineering Hormones Sex Attractants

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Predatory Bugs

• Can be purchased as adults or in larvae or egg form

• Released in region of where pests are found• Ladybugs - natural enemies of many insect pests

and it has been demonstrated that a single lady beetle may consume as many as 5,000 aphids in its lifetime.

• Praying mantids - highly predacious and feed on a variety of insects, including moths, crickets, grasshoppers and flies. They lie in wait with the front legs in an upraised position. They intently watch and stalk their prey. They will eat each other.

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BioControls

• Go to http://www.nysaes.cornell.edu/ent/biocontrol/ to learn more about Biological Controls

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Integrated Pest Management

• Flexible, ecologically-based strategy that uses a combination of techniques applied at specific times aimed at specific pests. Tries to minimize use of chemical controls and

avoids broad spectrum controls. Employs economic thresholds to determine the

point at which potential economic damage justifies pest control expenditures.

Go to http://www.epa.gov/opp00001/factsheets/ipm.htm to learn more about this very effective way of controlling pests (except yer little siblings!)

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Generalized pesticides

• Kill off both useful AND harmful insects• Must be used with care in gardening• Better to attract predacious insects, the kind that

eat other insects, dot your garden with sweet alyssum, asters, daisies, marigolds, sunflowers, yarrow and members of the parsley family, such as parsley, fennel and dill.

• These flowers offer the nectars and pollens that predacious bugs need to supplement their insect diet.

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REDUCING PESTICIDE EXPOSURE

• Less than 10% of active pesticide ingredients have been subjected to a full battery of chronic health-effect tests. Of the 321 pesticides screened, EPA

reports 146 are probable human carcinogens.

- Since 1972, only 40 pesticides have been banned.

- http://www.epa.gov/oppfead1/international/piclist.htm

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Regulating Pesticides

• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Department of Agriculture (USDA) all share federal responsibility for regulating pesticides used in food production in the U.S.. EPA regulates sale and use, and sets

tolerance levels. FDA and USDA enforce pesticide use and

tolerance levels set by EPA.

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Regulating Pesticides

• 1999, EPA banned use of methyl parathion on all fruit and many vegetables, and limited the quantity of azinphos methyl that can be used on foods common in children’s diets. Studies show children are more

susceptible than adults to toxic pesticides because they are still developing and have less natural protection.

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Important!!!!

• Pesticide regulation is very complex, merging science, public policy, and law. Since scientific knowledge constantly changes, as do the needs of society, the pesticide regulatory process is never at a standstill. EPA continuously updates pesticide decisions as knowledge increases and improves.

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Federal Laws for Various Pesticides

• Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) [FIFRA)] provides the basis for regulation, sale, distribution and use of pesticides in the U.S. FIFRA authorizes EPA to review and register pesticides for specified uses. EPA also has the authority to suspend or cancel the registration of a pesticide if subsequent information shows that continued use would pose unreasonable risks.

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• The Endangered Species Act of 1972 amended FIFRA to define imminent hazard to include situations involving unreasonable hazard to the survival of a species declared by the Secretary of the Interior to be endangered or threatened

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FIFRA

• requires that EPA register all pesticides as well as each use of that pesticide and approves the product label.

• requires the classification of all registered pesticides as either "general use" pesticides which can be used by anyone or "restricted use" pesticides if the environment or user could be harmed even if the pesticide is used as directed (state requirements are often stricter).

• requires that the users of "restricted use" pesticides must be certified as, or under the direct supervision of either "private" or "commercial" applicators. Certification is to be carried out by the states (except in Colorado and Nebraska which have federal programs).

• establishes tolerances for residues that may remain on raw agricultural products or in processed food.

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FIFRA cont’d

• provides penalties for "use inconsistent with the labeling" of a pesticide. • makes it illegal to store or dispose of pesticides or containers other than

as directed by regulations and provides penalties for illegal handling of containers.

• provides civil penalties when the violation of a regulation is unintentional. Fines can be $1,000 for private applicators and others or as much as $5,000 for each offense by commercial applicators. Before EPA can fine you, you have the right to ask for a hearing in your own city or county.

• provides criminal penalties when the law is knowingly violated. The maximum penalty for private applicators and others is $1,000 and/or 30 days in prison. Commercial applicators may be fined up to $25,000 or one year in prison, or both.

• permits states to establish stricter standards, but not more permissive standards.

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Federal Laws

• Pesticide Registration Improvement Act (PRIA) of 2003 establishes pesticide registration service fees for registration actions in three pesticide program divisions: Antimicrobials, Biopesticides and Pollution Prevention, and the Registration Divisions.

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The Food Drug and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) of 1938

• FFDCA governs, among other things, pesticide residue levels in food or feed crops marketed in the U.S.

• Under the FFDCA, EPA has the responsibility for setting tolerances, or maximum legal limits for pesticide residues on food commodities marketed in the U.S.

• The purpose of the tolerance program is to ensure that U.S. consumers are not exposed to unsafe food-pesticide residue levels.

• The Food and Drug Administration has the responsibility for enforcing tolerance levels set by EPA. This law:

• provides for monitoring of food crops for pesticide residues and enforces tolerances.

• provides for monitoring and enforcement of food additive tolerances and prosecutes violators.

• works jointly with EPA to register pesticides used on animals. • provides for monitoring of pesticide residues in animals by the

Meat Inspection Division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

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Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976

• The Federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) is administered by the Environmental Protection Agency to manage all hazardous wastes.

• Under this law:• private applicators (farmers) who properly dispose of pesticide wastes,

excess pesticides, and triple rinsed empty containers on their own property are in general exempt from the requirements of this law (state requirements are often more strict).

• others who accumulate 2.2 pounds per month or more waste containing acute hazardous chemical or 2200 pounds of waste (220 pounds in NYS) containing a hazardous chemical are regulated; must register as a generator of hazardous waste and obtain an ID number from EPA and follow certain disposal requirements.

• triple-rinsed used containers can be disposed of in EPA approved sanitary landfills without an ID number or further regulation.

• Regulated waste includes unrinsed containers, excess pesticide and pesticide dilutions, rinse water, etc. which contain a listed chemical and cannot be properly used.

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Is Organic the Answer ?

• Numerous studies have shown organic, sustainable agriculture is more eco-friendly and leaves soil healthier than intensive, chemical-based mono-culture cropping. Currently, less than 1% of all American farmland is

devoted to organic growing, but market for such crops is growing.

As of October 21, 2002, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has put in place a set of national standards that food labeled organic must meet, whether it is grown domestically or imported from other countries. To determine whether a food meets the USDA's standards, a U.S. Government-approved certifier inspects the farm where the food is grown to make sure the farmer is following all the necessary rules. Companies that handle or process organic food before it gets distributed to stores or restaurants must be certified as well.

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Organic Farming and Pest Control

• Use the following websites to help you learn more about this intriguing concept

• http://attra.ncat.org/organic.html#pests – this site has a lot of info.

• http://morganicfarming.blogspot.com/2007/09/natural-ways-of-pest-control-for.html

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organic_farming_methods#Pest_control this wikipedia actually contains good cited information!

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Summary

• Pests• Pesticides

Use and Types Benefits Problems Alternatives Reducing Exposure Regulating Use Integrated Pest Management

• Organic Farming

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