Conventional application equipment: aerial application

Chemical control of insects, diseases and weeds began in earnest with the introduction of organic pesticides in the 1940s. Chemical pesticides offer a powerful control method and, until recently, their use had been overemphasized to the detriment of research and development of cultural and biological control methods. Impacts on non-target organisms and emergence of resistance to chemical pesticides prompted the development of biopesticides as well as the implementation of integrated pest management, where pesticides are used compatibly as one of many control methods.