Pesticides:
Insecticides are substances that are used to control harmful insects by disrupting their life processes through chemical action. These pesticides can be either inorganic or organic and are generally classified into three categories: food poisons, contact poisons, and fumigants. Fumigants are usually most effective against pests that infest stored produce in enclosed spaces such as houses, barns, or greenhouses. Repellents, attractants, chemosterilants, pheromones, etc. are also used in pest control, but their mode of action is different from pesticides, and generally, these chemicals are not toxic.
Inorganic pesticides are effective only as food poisons and are currently used mainly as bait. Most organic pesticides are synthetic or plant-based and are effective as contact poisons, stomach poisons, and, in certain cases, wash poisons. The history of the introduction of pesticides is relatively short. The first widespread use of insecticides began in the 1860s when potato fields were infested by the Colorado potato beetle in Mississippi, USA.
The current trend in discovering new pesticides is mostly focused on synthetic biochemicals. The initial use of these chemicals dates back to 1892 when the potassium salt of 4,6-dinitro-ortho-cresol (4,6-dinitro-o-cresol) was first marketed in Germany as an insecticide. In 1932, â-butoxy-â thiocyanodiethyl ether was the first synthetic bio-pesticide to be used in large quantities. The discovery of DDT in 1940 during World War II highlighted the superiority of synthetic chemicals over inorganic and plant-based pesticides.
Organophosphorus insecticides are widely used to kill almost all types of pests. Thousands of insecticides of all types have been discovered as a result of this research. Some of the most common organophosphates include Malathion, Diazinon (Basudin), Bydrin, Dimicron, Azodrin, Nogos, and Nexion, among others. Most of these pesticides have multiple trademarked names.
Commonly used pesticides include various trademarks such as granular pesticides like Carbofuran, Diazinon, Fipronil, Corbosulfan and Chloropyrifos.
Liquid pesticides include Cypermethrin, DDVP, Diazinon, Dimethoate, Monocrotophos, Malathion, Phosphamidon, Phenthoate, Fenitrothion and Bidrin.
Powders pesticides include Carbaryl, Cartap and MIPC. For rodent control, Bromadiolone, Brodifacum and Zinc phosphide are commonly used.
Microbial insecticides control harmful pests by infecting them with pathogens and their by-products. Like chemical pesticides, they can be stored for some time, marketed in drums, diluted with water and sprayed with spraying machines.
Microbial pesticides offer distinct advantages over chemical pesticides. They are specifically effective against targeted pests, and they do not leave behind harmful residues. Additionally, microbial pesticides do not harm beneficial insects, and they do not lead to resistance in harmful insects. Some biocides can be used in conjunction with chemical pesticides, rather than as antagonists.
