Abstract:

The use of synthetic chemical pesticides has been crucial in preventing the spread of insectborne illnesses and eradicating agricultural pests for almost sixty years, and this trend is not expected to change anytime soon. Yet, there are serious risks associated with pesticides as well. Some are harmful because they remain in our bodies long after we eat or drink them or after we flush them down the toilet. Even at low concentrations, many pesticides are harmful to humans and other animals. Some are even thought to be carcinogenic. As current synthetic pesticides have health risks, many scientists and farmers are looking for safer alternatives. An option that might be useful here is pesticides made from natural materials. Research in this area focuses on combining two effective natural pesticides—botanicals and entomopathogenic fungi—against three major insect pests of rice: Cnaphalocrocis medinalis (Guenee), Scirpophaga incertulas (Walker), and Nilaparvata lugens (Stal) in a lowland rice ecosystem where the microclimate encourages the action of both pesticides

Description:

Botanicals, Insect Pests, Rice, chemical pesticides, natural materials, microclimate encourages