Published online by Cambridge University Press: 04 July 2016
Control of agricultural pests and diseases has been attempted for well over one thousand years, but it is only during the present century that the means have been available to combat the problems on a large scale by the use of pesticides. The contribution which pesticides have made to the reduction of crop losses is enormous. However, the fact that significant losses of production still occur shows that they are not a complete or simple answer to the problems.
When used in the broadest sense the term ‘pest' applies to a wide range of plant and animal organisms which adversely affect the crops grown by man. Attention here will be restricted to invertebrate pests and crop diseases.