Pesticide Uses

Question 1

Insect stats

Answer 1

85% of species
10,000 defined pests
600 serious pests

In Ontario:
- 40 veg pests
- 25 fruit pests
- 15 field crop pests

Question 2

Microbial/fungi stats

Answer 2

• 8000 fungi
• 500 nematodes
• 250 viruses
• 160 bacteria

This many that are pests to our crops

Question 3

Potato blight

Answer 3

Potato blight destroyed all potatoes so price of other foods increased
1 million dead
1.5 million emigrated

Question 4

Weed stats

Answer 4

Half a billion seeds/ha
10,000 seeds/m2
1% germination = 100 weeds/m2

Weeds consume more water and nutrients than crop plants

Question 5

Good thing about grass grain crops

Answer 5

2,4-D and other broadleaf herbicides can be used to control weeds because they won’t damage the crop

Question 6

How much money spent globally on pesticides?

Answer 6

$56 billion

Question 7

Most commonly used active ingredient in ag use?

Home use?

Answer 7

Glyphosate is #1 by a long shot
Top 10 are all herbicides or fumigants

Top 10 for home use are all herbicides or insecticides

Question 8

What are the most expensive pests for row crop farmers to deal with?

Fruit farmers?

Vegetable farmers?

Answer 8

Plant pests

Fungi

Fungi

Question 9

Do pesticides have a good return on investment

Answer 9

Yes! $3-$9 return per $1 spent on pesticides

Question 10

Factors affecting ban of a pesticide

Answer 10

1. Efficacy to cost ratio. How effective is it for how much it costs
2. Efficacy to cost ratio of alternative pesticides
3. Value of crop it’s being used on
4. Is it a localized pesticide or used globally?

Question 11

Is population outgrowing production?

Answer 11

No, ag production continues to outgrow population which is good!