Farmers must avoid improper use of pesticides

Pesticides are most commonly thought of as chemical substances used to kill, control, or manage pest population. But the proper definition of a pesticides is 'any substance or mixture of substances intended for preventing, destroying, repelling, or mitigating any pests, as well as any substance or mixture of substances intended for use as a plant regulator, defoliant or desiccant.".

The term substance is used to indicate that there are either chemical or non chemical formulations are normally used by us to manage pests. One example of non chemical used to control pests today are preparations of bacteria that control insect pest.

The term pests is very broad. Any organism may be considered a pest by one person at one place and time, while the same organism may be considered valuable by someone else either at the same and time or in another situation. Even sometimes human may be considered as pest. But in general, we will not kill human by using pesticides.

As such, an ideal pesticide will act rapidly on pests, yet be completely harmless to people, domestic animals, wildlife and other aspect of the environment. But unfortunately no such pesticides exists. Therefor we need to know how to prepare and store chemical and also to know how to use it safely.

Great care should be taken whenever pesticides are used. The label on the pesticide container is always a good source of information on the proper and least risky ways to use that material. By following label direction, common sense, and good judgement under the conditions at hand, will help safe pesticide use.

The use of pesticides are matters of great responsibility, warranting careful consideration of possible hazards and potential negative side effects. We should avoid such case as below news happen in our country:

Pesticides linked to seven deaths in Philippines

Seven people have died and about a hundred others have been hospitalized after an outbreak of diarrhea in the remote tribal area of Alamada in North Cotabato province that some say may be linked to toxic pesticide use.

Provincial health officer Dr Eva Rabaya told ucanews.com that at least 70 patients remain in hospital and that new cases have been increasing as of Tuesday morning.

Melissa Bagsican, information officer of Alamada town, said the outbreak was affecting the villages of Dado, Lower Dado, Kalamansi and Pigcawaran, near the town’s watershed.

She added that authorities are still trying to verify reports that the outbreak may be linked to the excessive use of herbicides on nearby corn farms.

“Farmers have recently applied herbicide on their cornfields upstream, and the rains washed it down to the water system and rivers,” she said.

Bagsican said health officials have been warning farmers against the improper use of pesticides and herbicides that can produce illness such as chronic diarrhea and skin infections. source