Techniques for Reducing Pesticide Use : Economic and Environmental Benefits
Автор:David Pimentel Год: [не указано] Издание: [не указанo] Страниц: [не указано] ISBN: 0471968382 Pest insects, plant pathogens, and weeds destroy approximately 400f all potential food production worldwide. This major food loss occurs despite the application of 2.5 million tons of pesticides at a cost of more than $25 billion each year. Pesticides provide many important benefits in pest control, returning about $4 for every $1 invested. However, this cost/benefit ratio does not include the annual environmental and public health costs of using pesticides which include 3 million human poisonings and 220,000 deaths annually worldwide. With more than 2 billion people malnourished in the world, a major effort is required to reduce the continuing 400ss of crops to pests. With a relatively small investment in research and extension, this crop destruction can be reduced. Technologies now exist to reduce pesticide use by at least 50%, without reducing crop yields or substantially altering the ?cosmetic standards of fresh fruit and vegetables. Reducing pesticide use will lower the...
