1977/09/01 by J Altman, J. Altman, C L Campbell +1 · 1 citation
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · #Plant Disease Management Techniques #Agronomic Practices and Intercropping Systems #Plant Pathogens and Resistance
paper · doi:10.1146/annurev.py.15.090177.002045
Although pesticides are applied to plants and soils to control plant parasites and weeds, they may also affect soil properties, microorganisms, and hosts. These effects normally have little influence on plant growth and generally prove beneficial. Occa sionally, however, they cause a temporary reduction in plant growth. Recently, it has been demonstrated that under specialized sets of conditions certain pesticides can predispose plants to increased disease. It is important to ascertain the effect of each new pesticide on the chemical and biological properties of soils. Also important are factors influencing the persistence and decomposition of pesticides in the soil and the overall effects on soil microorgan isms. If we understand these factors, pesticides can be used wisely and need not render soils infertile, plants inedible, or reduce yields, as a result of excessive accumulation of toxic residues or detrimental side effects. The pesticides used in 1972 (680 million kg in the United States alone) represented a wide diversity of chemicals varying in chemical, physical, and toxicological prop erties as well as persistence, degradability, and a range of other properties. More than 400 chemicals involving about 40,000 commercial products are currently registered by the US Department of Agriculture and are available for use by farmers