Pesticides: functions and early developments

We devote two articles to pesticides. The first looks at the objectives of chemical crop protection and pest control. The names of active substances and preparations can sometimes be confusing, so we give a few pointers to help you find your way around the nomenclature systems. These products are used for their toxic properties, against undesirable plants, parasitic insects or fungi that cause plant diseases. Handling them presents risks that we strive to prevent by assessing their toxicity for humans and animal species exposed to them. A number of indicators are used to assess their toxicity, and guide legislators in regulating their use.

Moreover, commercial products contain more than just the active substance; they are mixtures or formulations whose composition and presentation meet the objectives we are examining. Finally, following a chronological order, we witness the birth of the major plant protection products (sulfur, Bordeaux mixture), through to the development of chemically synthesized pesticides, which are diversified and effective, but whose remanence in our food and environment, at trace levels (residues), requires monitoring, characterization of possible chronic effects or substitution by new products and new plant protection techniques.