Toward a "Reduced Risk" Pesticide Policy Worthy of the Name

Good progress has been made in reducing the risks associated with insecticide and fungicide use over the last decade. The registration of the nicotinyls, spinosad, indoxacarb, strobilurins, and several Insect Growth Regulators (IGRs) have provided farmers new options to move away from higher risk chemistry often plagued by resistance and/or regulatory pressures.

Less progress has been made in reducing herbicide risks. Managing weeds in corn in the United States accounts for more pounds of pesticides than any other crop use. In most years, around 150 million pounds of herbicides are applied to corn, or about 2 pounds on the average acre. Weed management in major row crops accounts for nearly two-thirds of all pesticide use in agriculture, measured in terms of pounds of active ingredients applied.