Pesticide Use in U.S. Agriculture


Book Description

Pesticide use has changed considerably over the past five decades. Rapid growth characterized the first 20 years, ending in 1981. The total quantity of pesticides applied to the 21 crops analyzed grew from 196 million pounds of pesticide active ingredients in 1960 to 632 million pounds in 1981. Improvements in the types and modes of action of active ingredients applied along with small annual fluctuations resulted in a slight downward trend in pesticide use to 516 million pounds in 2008. These changes were driven by economic factors that determined crop and input prices and were influenced by pest pressures, environmental and weather conditions, crop acreages, agricultural practices (including adoption of genetically engineered crops), access to land-grant extension personnel and crop consultants, the cost-effectiveness of pesticides and other practices in protecting crop yields and quality, technological innovations in pest management systems/practices, and environmental and health regulations. Emerging pest management policy issues include the development of glyphosate-resistant weed populations associated with the large increase in glyphosate use since the late 1990s, the development of Bt-resistant western corn rootworm in some areas, and the arrival of invasive or exotic pest species, such as soybean aphid and soybean rust, which can influence pesticide use patterns and the development of Integrated Pest Management programs.




International Code of Conduct on Pesticide Management


Book Description

The understanding that some pesticides are more hazardous than others is well established. Recognition of this is reflected by the World Health Organization (WHO) Recommended Classification of Pesticides by Hazard, which was first published in 1975. The document classifies pesticides in one of five hazard classes according to their acute toxicity. In 2002, the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS) was introduced, which in addition to acute toxicity also provides classification of chemicals according to their chronic health hazards and environmental hazards.




Economic Poisons


Book Description




Pesticide Policy and Politics in the European Union


Book Description

This book explores the regulation of pesticides in the European Union in order to reveal the complex, controversial, and contested nature of an assessment system proudly declared by the EU to be ‘the strictest in the world’. The current regulatory framework is based on Regulation 1107/2009, which substantially reformed the previous system. The analysis describes the new criteria and procedures for the authorization of active substances to be used in the production of pesticides, traces the lengthy policy formulation process, and identifies factors that made policy change possible. Further, the book illustrates the current controversies that characterise the implementation of Regulation 1107/2009: the ban of pesticides harmful to pollinators, the renewal of the authorization of glyphosate, and the definition of criteria for the assessment of endocrine disruption. The author provides information on policy outcomes and highlights persisting shortcomings in the enforcement of EU regulation. This book will appeal to students and scholars from a variety of disciplines, including political science, political sociology, and public policy.




Groundwater


Book Description

This book covers aspects of groundwater resource characterisation and management. The inherent heterogeneous and isotropic nature of aquifers coupled with the unpredictable effects of climate change calls for continuous improvement and understanding of hydrogeology site characterisation techniques in theory and application to better understand and manage groundwater. We believe that this book will be useful for various professionals involved in groundwater-related work to improve the theoretical and practical understanding of hydrogeology site characterisation techniques and groundwater resource management skills.










Food Processing Handbook


Book Description

The second edition of the Food Processing Handbook presents a comprehensive review of technologies, procedures and innovations in food processing, stressing topics vital to the food industry today and pinpointing the trends in future research and development. Focusing on the technology involved, this handbook describes the principles and the equipment used as well as the changes - physical, chemical, microbiological and organoleptic - that occur during food preservation. In so doing, the text covers in detail such techniques as post-harvest handling, thermal processing, evaporation and dehydration, freezing, irradiation, high-pressure processing, emerging technologies and packaging. Separation and conversion operations widely used in the food industry are also covered as are the processes of baking, extrusion and frying. In addition, it addresses current concerns about the safety of processed foods (including HACCP systems, traceability and hygienic design of plant) and control of food processes, as well as the impact of processing on the environment, water and waste treatment, lean manufacturing and the roles of nanotechnology and fermentation in food processing. This two-volume set is a must-have for scientists and engineers involved in food manufacture, research and development in both industry and academia, as well as students of food-related topics at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. From Reviews on the First Edition: "This work should become a standard text for students of food technology, and is worthy of a place on the bookshelf of anybody involved in the production of foods." Journal of Dairy Technology, August 2008 "This work will serve well as an excellent course resource or reference as it has well-written explanations for those new to the field and detailed equations for those needing greater depth." CHOICE, September 2006







Pseudomonas Fluorescens Strain A506


Book Description

"Health Canada's Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA), under the authority of the Pest Control Products Act (PCPA) and Regulations, has granted conditional registrations for the sale and use of Pseudomonas fluorescens Strain A506 and Blightban A506, containing the technical grade active ingredient Pseudomonas fluorescens strain A506, to control fire blight on apples and pears. This Overview describes the key points of the evaluation, while the Science Evaluation provides detailed technical information on the human health, environmental and value assessments of Pseudomonas fluorescens Strain A506 and Blightban A506"--Document.