Overview of pesticides and their use

Chemical and biological pesticides

The term pesticide generally refers to a natural or artificial (synthetic) chemical substance or mixture of substances. The compound or compounds that have a controlling effect are usually referred to as the 'active ingredient'. Various types of compounds are added to the active ingredient to help in application and spraying. These include solvents or emulsifying ingredients. There are also biological pesticides. These contain natural enemies of the pest organisms as the control agent. For example, the bacterial species Bacillus thuringiensis is used to control mosquitoes in certain areas of Sweden and ladybirds are used to control aphids. Other alternatives to chemical pesticides include using crop rotations and cropping measures to improve the conditions for natural enemies in the cropping system and preventing the propagation of weeds or various plant diseases.

The seven-spot ladybird is a species of beetle belonging to the family Coccinellidae. It is used in biological control, of aphids in particular. Both the larvae and the adult beetle eat aphids. Photo: Börge Pettersson, SLU.