Graham A. Matthews – författare

Pesticides continue to be a major means of controlling pests and diseases of crops and have made a major contribution to increasing the world’s food production. Despite the problem of developing pest and disease resistance to certain pesticides, and public concern about their indiscriminate use and side-effects, they are likely to remain the basis of integrated pest management programmes. However, as this book seeks to demonstrate, there is scope to improve both the safety and efficiency of crop protection methods. The emphasis of the book is on methods of assessment and on application techniques to particular categories of crops. Written by leading authorities from Europe and North America, the book provides detailed reviews of relevant topics. It is essential reading for all researchers, advanced students and professionals concerned with crop protection, whether from the disciplines of entomology, plant pathology, weed science or agricultural engineering.

Pesticides continue to provide an important tool in integrated pest management (IPM) programmes. Hitherto IPM programmes have had a strong bias towards insect control, but farmers need to control weeds, plant pathogens and other pest problems.This book follows the author's successful “pesticide application methods” by relating the equipment needs to the overall pest control requirement of major crops. It outlines the pest problems against which farmers are using pesticides and focusses on the details of the application techniques they need to optimise pesticide use.Much attention is now being given to genetically modified crops, but these do not necessarily avoid the use of pesticides. Some are engineered to be resistant to certain herbicides, so the use of these herbicides will still require careful application in order to minimise environmental side effects. Similarly, crops engineered for resistance to certain insect pest species may remain susceptible to other pests, thus emphasising the need for crop monitoring and careful use of any chemicals to avoid disrupting biological control.