Environmental Letters
ISSN: 0013-9300 (Print) (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/lesa17
Introduction Martin Jacobson To cite this article: Martin Jacobson (1975) Introduction, Environmental Letters, 8:1, 1-3, DOI: 10.1080/00139307509435832 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00139307509435832
Published online: 02 Sep 2009.
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Full Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at http://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?journalCode=2esa20 Download by: [University of Cambridge]
Date: 08 November 2015, At: 23:00
ENVIROXMENTAL LETTERS, 8(1), 1-3
(1975)
INTRODUCTION
Downloaded by [University of Cambridge] at 23:00 08 November 2015
Martin Jacobson A g r i c u l t u r a l Environmental Quality I n s t i t u t e A g r i c u l t u r a l Research Service U.S. Department of Agriculture B e l t s v i l l e , Maryland 20705 The use of p e s t i c i d e s i n general, and i n s e c t i c i d e s i n p a r t i c u l a r , has been t h e t a r g e t f o r considerable c r i t i c i s m , e s p e c i a l l y since t h e publication of Rachel Carson's " S i l e n t Spring."'
C r i t i c s and o u t r i g h t
opponents of p e s t i c i d e s s t r e s s t h e i r harmful e f f e c t s on the w i l d l i f e of both f o r e s t and stream and speak of human h e a l t h hazards i n t h e i r application and a s chemical r e s i d u e s i n our food.
The brunt of t h e
outcry has been d i r e c t e d toward t h e use of t h e so-called "hard-core" p e s t i c i d e s including t h e c h l o r i n a t e d organic i n s e c t i c i d e s such a s DDT, a l d r i n and dieldrin.' Proponents of p e s t i c i d e s p o i n t o u t t h e i r many b e n e f i t s i n enhancing t h e q u a l i t y and q u a n t i t y of o u r a g r i c u l t u r a l production and in p r o t e c t i n g t h e h e a l t h of t h e p u b l i c , e s p e c i a l l y from i n s e c t borne
disease^.^
In 1953, Knipling4 estimated that a t l e a s t 5 n i l l i o n
l i v e s had been saved and 100 m i l l i o n i l l n e s s e s prevented by CDT s i n c e
1942 as a r e s u l t of freedom from malaria and because of improved n u t r i t i o n r e s u l t i n g from t h e c o n t r o l of crop p e s t s .
These f i g u r e s
have increased in subsequent years;
1 Copyright 0 1975 by hlarcel Dekker. Inc. All Rights Reserved. Neither this work nor any part may be reproduced Or transmitted in any form or by any means. electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, microfilming, and recording.01 by any information storageand retrievalsystem, without permission in writing from the publisher.
JACOBSON I n 1972, t h e Environmental P r o t e c t i o n Agency, following a p u b l i c hearing, cancelled t h e r e g i s t e r e d u s e of DDT i n t h e United S t a t e s f o r a l l b u t a few s e l e c t p u b l i c h e a l t h a p p l i c a t i o n s , 5 although very r e c e n t l y t h a t agency gave t h e F o r e s t S e r v i c e t h e option
I
of using DDT t o c o n t r o l tussock nmth damage on 650.000 a c r e s of p u b l i c land i n Washington, Oregon, and Idaho.6
Even more r e c e n t l y , EPA ordered
a suspension i n t h e manufacture of a l d r i n and d i e l d r i n i n t h i s country.'
While t h e r e a r e some r e a l problems t o be solved which involve
Downloaded by [University of Cambridge] at 23:00 08 November 2015
i n s e c t i c i d e r e s i d u e s and t h e i r environmental contamination, t h e r e a l l y b i g problem w i t h t h e known s y n t h e t i c i n s e c t i c i d e s i s i n s e c t r e s i s t a n c e , and t h e t o t a l number of i n s e c t s t r a i n s r e s i s t a n t t o t h e chlorinated and organophosphorus i n s e c t i c i d e s has r i s e n a t an alarming r a t e .
This dilemma has made i t e s s e n t i a l t h a t a l t e r n a t e methods of c o n t r o l l i n g insects be found t h a t a r e not only e f f e c t i v e b u t a l s o acceptable t o t h e public.
Research along these l i n e s i s being conducted
i n l a b o r a t o r i e s and f i e l d s t a t i o n s of Federal and S t a t e government agencies, educational i n s t i t u t i o n s , and p r i v a t e industry.
Among t h e
approaches being followed, those involving i n s e c t suppression and c o n t r o l by means of n a t u r a l p r e d a t o r s , p a r a s i t e s , and pathogens, s e x u a l s t e r i l i z a t i o n , s e x pheromones, and i n s e c t growth r e g u l a t o r s ( t h e so-called " t h i r d generation i n s e c t i c i d e s " o r " j u v e n i l e horrmnes") appear t o o f f e r t h e g r e a t e s t l i k e l i h o o d of success, p a r t i c u l a r l y i f used i n i n t e g r a t e d p e s t management programs.
8,9s10
The r e c e n t s i g n i f i c a n t
developments i n each of t h e s e f i e l d s a r e b r i e f l y reviewed i n t h i s p a r t i c u l a r l y timely c o l l e c t i o n of a r t i c l e s , which I w a s d e l i g h t e d
t o organize a t t h e request of D r . James W. Robinson. c o n t r i b u t o r s is an a u t h o r i t y i n h i s f i e l d .
Each of t h e
I hope t h a t t h e information
contained h e r e i n w i l l s e r v e t o provide t h e i n c e n t i v e f o r g r e a t e r d i s c o v e r i e s i n the b a s i c and applied a s p e c t s of "safe" i n s e c t c o n t r o l . 2
INTRODUCTIOY REFERENCES
Downloaded by [University of Cambridge] at 23:00 08 November 2015
1. R. Carson, S
S
, Houghton M i f l i n , Boston, Mass. (1962).
2.
Mention o f a p e s t i c i d e i n t h i s p a p e r d o e s n o t c o n s t i t u t e a recommendation of t h i s p r o d u c t by t h e USDA.
3.
T. H. J u k e s , N a t u r w i s s e n s c h a f t e n
4.
E. F. K n i p l i n g , 3. Econ. E n t o n o l .
5.
F e d e r a l R e g i s t e r z ( 1 3 1 ) , 13369 ( J u l y 7, 1972).
6.
Chem. Eng. News x ( 9 ) .
7.
I b i d . 2 ( 3 2 ) , 4 (1974); S c i e n c e
8.
T. Koshy and K. R. Chandra, J . S c i . Ind. R e s .
9.
P e s t C o n t r o 1 : S t r a t e g i e s f o r t h e F u t u r e , N a t i o n a l Academy of S c i e n c e s , Washington, D. C. (1972).
10.
Chemical Ecology, E. Sondheiner and J . B. Simeone, e d s . , Academic, New York (1970).
61,
6 (1974).
5, 1 (1953).
8 (1974).
185,6 0 1
3
(1974).
1, 1 5 (1972).
ISSN: 0013-9300 (Print) (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/lesa17
Introduction Martin Jacobson To cite this article: Martin Jacobson (1975) Introduction, Environmental Letters, 8:1, 1-3, DOI: 10.1080/00139307509435832 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00139307509435832
Published online: 02 Sep 2009.
Submit your article to this journal
Article views: 1
View related articles
Full Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at http://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?journalCode=2esa20 Download by: [University of Cambridge]
Date: 08 November 2015, At: 23:00
ENVIROXMENTAL LETTERS, 8(1), 1-3
(1975)
INTRODUCTION
Downloaded by [University of Cambridge] at 23:00 08 November 2015
Martin Jacobson A g r i c u l t u r a l Environmental Quality I n s t i t u t e A g r i c u l t u r a l Research Service U.S. Department of Agriculture B e l t s v i l l e , Maryland 20705 The use of p e s t i c i d e s i n general, and i n s e c t i c i d e s i n p a r t i c u l a r , has been t h e t a r g e t f o r considerable c r i t i c i s m , e s p e c i a l l y since t h e publication of Rachel Carson's " S i l e n t Spring."'
C r i t i c s and o u t r i g h t
opponents of p e s t i c i d e s s t r e s s t h e i r harmful e f f e c t s on the w i l d l i f e of both f o r e s t and stream and speak of human h e a l t h hazards i n t h e i r application and a s chemical r e s i d u e s i n our food.
The brunt of t h e
outcry has been d i r e c t e d toward t h e use of t h e so-called "hard-core" p e s t i c i d e s including t h e c h l o r i n a t e d organic i n s e c t i c i d e s such a s DDT, a l d r i n and dieldrin.' Proponents of p e s t i c i d e s p o i n t o u t t h e i r many b e n e f i t s i n enhancing t h e q u a l i t y and q u a n t i t y of o u r a g r i c u l t u r a l production and in p r o t e c t i n g t h e h e a l t h of t h e p u b l i c , e s p e c i a l l y from i n s e c t borne
disease^.^
In 1953, Knipling4 estimated that a t l e a s t 5 n i l l i o n
l i v e s had been saved and 100 m i l l i o n i l l n e s s e s prevented by CDT s i n c e
1942 as a r e s u l t of freedom from malaria and because of improved n u t r i t i o n r e s u l t i n g from t h e c o n t r o l of crop p e s t s .
These f i g u r e s
have increased in subsequent years;
1 Copyright 0 1975 by hlarcel Dekker. Inc. All Rights Reserved. Neither this work nor any part may be reproduced Or transmitted in any form or by any means. electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, microfilming, and recording.01 by any information storageand retrievalsystem, without permission in writing from the publisher.
JACOBSON I n 1972, t h e Environmental P r o t e c t i o n Agency, following a p u b l i c hearing, cancelled t h e r e g i s t e r e d u s e of DDT i n t h e United S t a t e s f o r a l l b u t a few s e l e c t p u b l i c h e a l t h a p p l i c a t i o n s , 5 although very r e c e n t l y t h a t agency gave t h e F o r e s t S e r v i c e t h e option
I
of using DDT t o c o n t r o l tussock nmth damage on 650.000 a c r e s of p u b l i c land i n Washington, Oregon, and Idaho.6
Even more r e c e n t l y , EPA ordered
a suspension i n t h e manufacture of a l d r i n and d i e l d r i n i n t h i s country.'
While t h e r e a r e some r e a l problems t o be solved which involve
Downloaded by [University of Cambridge] at 23:00 08 November 2015
i n s e c t i c i d e r e s i d u e s and t h e i r environmental contamination, t h e r e a l l y b i g problem w i t h t h e known s y n t h e t i c i n s e c t i c i d e s i s i n s e c t r e s i s t a n c e , and t h e t o t a l number of i n s e c t s t r a i n s r e s i s t a n t t o t h e chlorinated and organophosphorus i n s e c t i c i d e s has r i s e n a t an alarming r a t e .
This dilemma has made i t e s s e n t i a l t h a t a l t e r n a t e methods of c o n t r o l l i n g insects be found t h a t a r e not only e f f e c t i v e b u t a l s o acceptable t o t h e public.
Research along these l i n e s i s being conducted
i n l a b o r a t o r i e s and f i e l d s t a t i o n s of Federal and S t a t e government agencies, educational i n s t i t u t i o n s , and p r i v a t e industry.
Among t h e
approaches being followed, those involving i n s e c t suppression and c o n t r o l by means of n a t u r a l p r e d a t o r s , p a r a s i t e s , and pathogens, s e x u a l s t e r i l i z a t i o n , s e x pheromones, and i n s e c t growth r e g u l a t o r s ( t h e so-called " t h i r d generation i n s e c t i c i d e s " o r " j u v e n i l e horrmnes") appear t o o f f e r t h e g r e a t e s t l i k e l i h o o d of success, p a r t i c u l a r l y i f used i n i n t e g r a t e d p e s t management programs.
8,9s10
The r e c e n t s i g n i f i c a n t
developments i n each of t h e s e f i e l d s a r e b r i e f l y reviewed i n t h i s p a r t i c u l a r l y timely c o l l e c t i o n of a r t i c l e s , which I w a s d e l i g h t e d
t o organize a t t h e request of D r . James W. Robinson. c o n t r i b u t o r s is an a u t h o r i t y i n h i s f i e l d .
Each of t h e
I hope t h a t t h e information
contained h e r e i n w i l l s e r v e t o provide t h e i n c e n t i v e f o r g r e a t e r d i s c o v e r i e s i n the b a s i c and applied a s p e c t s of "safe" i n s e c t c o n t r o l . 2
INTRODUCTIOY REFERENCES
Downloaded by [University of Cambridge] at 23:00 08 November 2015
1. R. Carson, S
S
, Houghton M i f l i n , Boston, Mass. (1962).
2.
Mention o f a p e s t i c i d e i n t h i s p a p e r d o e s n o t c o n s t i t u t e a recommendation of t h i s p r o d u c t by t h e USDA.
3.
T. H. J u k e s , N a t u r w i s s e n s c h a f t e n
4.
E. F. K n i p l i n g , 3. Econ. E n t o n o l .
5.
F e d e r a l R e g i s t e r z ( 1 3 1 ) , 13369 ( J u l y 7, 1972).
6.
Chem. Eng. News x ( 9 ) .
7.
I b i d . 2 ( 3 2 ) , 4 (1974); S c i e n c e
8.
T. Koshy and K. R. Chandra, J . S c i . Ind. R e s .
9.
P e s t C o n t r o 1 : S t r a t e g i e s f o r t h e F u t u r e , N a t i o n a l Academy of S c i e n c e s , Washington, D. C. (1972).
10.
Chemical Ecology, E. Sondheiner and J . B. Simeone, e d s . , Academic, New York (1970).
61,
6 (1974).
5, 1 (1953).
8 (1974).
185,6 0 1
3
(1974).
1, 1 5 (1972).
