Pest Control Methods

Pesticides and integrated pest management. For Unit 5 of AP Environmental Science.

Pesticide

A synthetic or organic substance that kills or controls organisms deemed pests. Used by many farmers to increase the maximum sustainable yield (MSY), and thus increasing their profits.

Insecticide

A pesticide that targets insects.

Herbicide

A pesticide that targets competing plants, or weeds.

Broad-spectrum pesticide

A pesticide that kills many different kinds of pests

Selective pesticide

A pesticide that targets a small range of pests.

Persistent pesticide

A pesticide that remains in the environment for a long time.

Non-persistent pesticide

A pesticide that rapidly breaks down (weeks to months).

Pesticide resistance

A trait that some individuals of a species may develop when they are exposed to pesticide and survive.

Pesticide treadmill

A cycle of pesticide development and use followed by pesticide resistance, leading to the creation of new pesticides or heavier use of past ones.

Problems with pesticides

• Causes the death of non-target species (ex: pollinators)

• Eutrophication caused by nutrients in pesticides

• Cause biomagnification (the increase in the quantity of toxins and pollutants as you go up the food web)

GMOs

Crops can be genetically modified to become resistant to pests as an alternative to pesticides. However, this can lead to decreased biodiversity among that particular crop as all individuals share the same DNA.

Integrated Pest Management (IPM)

A combination of methods used to reduce and eliminate pest species, including biological, physical, agricultural, and chemical means.

IPM - Biological

Using other organisms to control pests, known as biocontrol. (ex: introducing a natural predator of a pest.)

IPM - Physical

Using physical factors to control pests. (ex: application of heat or cold.)

IPM - Chemical

Using chemical pesticides to control pests, usually as a last resort of integrated pest management.

IPM - Agricultural

Using agricultural methods to control pests. (ex: intercropping or crop rotation, which are less fond to specialist pests than monocultures.)

Pros of IPM

• Less health risks to humans
• Decreases pollution
• Doesn’t kill non-target species
• Decreases pest resistance