Chemical Control

(Importance of Chemical Control,

Classification of Insecticides)

BS VII
 • Chemical control
• Management of insect pests by using chemical (insecticides,
pesticides) is termed as chemical control.

• Pesticides:

• Chemicals which are used to kill pests

• Insecticides:

• Chemicals which are used to kill insects

 Importance of Chemical Control
• Chemical control have played key role in improvement of plant
suffering from abnormalities but have a negative perception in public
mind because pesticides are intrinsically toxic.

• In agricultural production, pesticides are a regular component of

most systems; their development has given rise to entirely new ways
of growing crops.

• The quantity and quality of our food and fiber production could not
be maintained without substantial pesticide inputs.
• They are highly effective, rapid in curative action, adoptable to most
situations, flexible in meeting changing agronomic and ecological
conditions and economical.

• Insecticides are the only tool for pest management that is reliable for
emergency action when insect pest populations approach or exceed the
economic threshold.
• It is difficult to imagine a technology that would produce the amount
of food and fiber and maintain the level of public health that we have
today, without pesticides.

• But their use presents a problem.

• The chemical insecticide came in limelight when DDT insecticidal

property discovered by Paul Muller of Switzerland in 1939.

• Paul Muller awarded Nobel Prize in 1948 for discovering insecticidal

property of DDT.
 Advantages of Chemical Control
• 1. It is often the only means of combating pests.

• 2. It is curative in effect.

• 3. It is easy to apply/adopt.

• 4. Farmers can apply when and where required.

• 5. Large area can be covered in relatively short time.

• 6. Broad spectrum activity: A single or combination of two

insecticides in a single application may control the pest complex.
• 7. Depending upon crops, pests and nature of damage, a range of
insecticides is available to choose from.

• 8. Highly effective against pests than other methods of insect control.

• 9. It can be used in human health programme

• 10. It can protect animals from illness that can be caused by

parasites such as fleas.

• 11. Growers can get high returns on his investment in a short time.

• 12. It is economical and are easy to obtain and apply.

 Disadvantages of Chemical Control
• 1. It is non selective: May harm natural enemies (Parasites and predators)
and pollinators.

• 2. It leads emergence of secondary pest outbreak.

• 3. Resistance often develops: Insects tend to become resistant to

insecticides after sometime, cannot be killed.

• 4. It pollutes air, water and land.

• 5. It may cause phytotoxicity.

• 6. Insecticides residues in food commodities and other components of
the environment affect wide variety of organisms in the food chain.

• 7. It upset the balance of nature, which may result in unexpected

problems

• 8. Noncompatible with biological control method.

• 9. Adverse effect on animals and man himself.

• 10. It is dangerous to consumers, workers during and after use.

 Properties of an ideal insecticide or pesticide
• 1. It should be freely available in the market under different
formulations.

• 2. It should be toxic and kill the pest required to be controlled.

• 3. It should not be phytotoxic to the crops on which it is used.

• 4. It should not be toxic to non target species like animals, natural

enemies etc.

• 5. It should be less harmful to human beings and other animals.

• 6. It Should not leave residues in crops like vegetables.

• 7. It should have higher tolerance limits.

• 8. It Should possess quick knockdown effect.

• 11. It Should be stable on application.

• 12. It Should not possess tainting (pollute) effects and should be free
from offensive odor.

• 13. It Should be cheaper

 Classifications of Insecticides
• Insecticides are classified in several ways taking into consideration
Their origin
Mode of entry
Mode of action
Based on toxicity
Based on generation
Based on stage specificity
 I. Based on the origin and source of supply

• A. Inorganic insecticides:
• Comprise compounds of mineral origin and elemental Sulphur.

• This group includes arsenate and fluorine compounds as

insecticides.

• Sulphur as acaricides (kill ticks and mites) and zinc phosphide as

rodenticides (kill rodents).
• B. Organic Insecticides:
• 1. Insecticides of animal origin: Nereistoxin isolated from marine annelids,
fish oil rosin soap from fishes etc.

• 2. Plant Origin insecticides or Botanical insecticides: Nicotinoids,

pyrethroids, Rotenoids etc.

• 3. Synthetic organic insecticides: Organochlorines , Organophosphorous,

Carbamate insecticides etc.,

• 4. Hydrocarbon oils etc.

 II. Based on the mode of entry

• (a) Stomach poison:-

• The insecticide applied on the leaves and other parts of plant when
ingested act on the digestive system of the insect and bring about
kill.

• This poison is used for chewing insects e.g. DDT, BHC, Aldrin,
Toxaphene dusts, Zinc phosphide, paris green synthetic pyrethyrium.
• (b) Contact poison:-
• The toxicant which brings about death of the pest species by means of
contact with the cuticle.

• e.g. quinolphos, Monocrotophos, dichlorvos, endrin, systemic pyrethruid.

• (c) Fumigant:-
• The toxicant which in its gaseous state penetrates insect body through the
tracheal system and kills the pests.

• e.g. Alluminium phosphide, ED\CT mixture.

 III. Based on mode of action
• 1. Physical poisons:
• Bring about the kill of insects by exerting a physical effect.

• For example, Heavy oils, tar oils etc. which cause death by
asphyxiation (deprived of oxygen).

• Inert dusts effect loss of body moisture by their abrasiveness as in

aluminium oxide or absorb moisture from the body as in charcoal.
• 2. Protoplasmic poisons:
• A toxicant responsible for precipitation of cell protein especially
destruction of cellular protoplasm of midgut epithelium.

• e.g., Arsenical compounds.

• 3. Respiratory poison:
• A chemical which inhibit cellular respiration by blocking
cytochrome oxidase enzyme as with the fumigant like hydrogen
cyanide, carbon monoxide EDB, ED\CT etc. is said to be a respiratory
poison.
• 4. Nerve poisons:
• A chemical associated with solubility in tissue lipid and functions
activity by blocking acetylcholinesterase enzyme in insects and warm
blooded animals is called nerve poison

• e.g. organophosphate and carbamate insecticides, synthetic

pyrethroids.
• 5. Chitin inhibitors:
• Chitin inhibitors interfere with process of synthesis of chitin due to
which normal molting and development is disrupted.

• Examples, Novaluron, Diflubenzuran, Lufenuron, Buprofezin

• 6. General Poisons:
• Compounds which include neurotoxic symptoms after some period
and do not belong to the above categories.

• Examples, Chlordane, Toxaphene, aldrin

IV. Based on toxicity
 Toxicological terminology
• LD50: Lethal dose required for killing 50% of insect and it is expressed
in terms of mg/kg body weight of insect.

• LC50: Lethal concentration required for killing 50% of insect and it is

expressed on terms of percentage.

• LC90: Lethal concentration required for killing 90% of insect and it is

measured in percentage.

• Thus higher the LC50 or LD90 values lesser the toxicity and vice
versa.
 V. Based on stage specificity

• 1. Ovicides

• 2. Larvicides

• 3. Pupicides

• 4. Adulticides
 VI. Generation wise
• First generation - Inorganics and Botanicals

• Second generation - Synthetic organics

• Third generation - Recent chemicals for reproductive control, IGRs

like MH & JH mimics

• Fourth generation - Synthetic pyrethroids

• Fifth generation - SPs, Neonicotinoids