What are pesticides used for?
Pesticides are just one way in which a farmer can reduce the number of pests to an acceptable level and protect crops.
These pesticides are described as herbicides or weedkillers, fungicides (that control disease and moulds), insecticides (that kill insect pests), and rodenticides (that control rats and mice).
Pesticides can be used throughout the growing cycle of plants.
- Seeds themselves may be treated with pesticides to prevent the growth of moulds and to help germination
- Growth regulators may be used to control the growth rate of the crop and desiccants may be applied to help harvesting
- The harvested crop may be treated with food storage protectors after being put in a silo, which has been fumigated, to prevent insect infestation and moulds that could damage the food
- Post harvest treatments are also used during storage to protect vegetables, and as surface treatments on fruit, such as waxes on oranges
- Rat poisons, bird and animal repellents are also used to prevent infestation to crop stores
Pesticides in the home and garden