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However, the use of herbicides can cause phytotoxic effects on non-targeted plants through wind-blown spray drift or from the use of herbicide-contaminated material (such as straw or manure) being applied to the soil. [5] Herbicides can also cause phytotoxicity in crops if applied incorrectly, in the wrong stage of crop growth, or in excess. [1]
Health effects of pesticides may be acute or delayed in those who are exposed. [1] Acute effects can include pesticide poisoning, which may be a medical emergency. [2] Strong evidence exists for other, long-term negative health outcomes from pesticide exposure including birth defects, fetal death, [3] neurodevelopmental disorder, [4] cancer, and neurologic illness including Parkinson's disease ...
One major complication to the use of herbicides for weed control is the ability of plants to evolve herbicide resistance, rendering the herbicides ineffective against target plants. Out of 31 known herbicide modes of action, weeds have evolved resistance to 21. 268 plant species are known to have evolved herbicide resistance at least once. [ 59 ]
Phytotoxic substances may result from human activity, as with herbicides, or they may be produced by plants, by microorganisms, or by naturally occurring chemical reactions. The term is also used to describe toxic chemicals produced by plants themselves, which function as defensive agents against their predators.
An obvious side effect of using a chemical meant to kill is that one is likely to kill more than just the desired organism. Contact with a sprayed plant or "weed" can have an effect upon local wildlife, most notably insects. A cause for concern is how pests, the reason for pesticide use, are building up a resistance.
The word pesticide derives from the Latin pestis (plague) and caedere (kill). [5]The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has defined pesticide as: . any substance or mixture of substances intended for preventing, destroying, or controlling any pest, including vectors of human or animal disease, unwanted species of plants or animals, causing harm during or otherwise interfering with the ...
Pesticides, because they are toxic chemicals meant to kill pest species, can affect non-target species, such as plants, animals and humans. Over 98% of sprayed insecticides and 95% of herbicides reach a destination other than their target species, because they are sprayed or spread across entire agricultural fields. [1]
Weed science is a scientific discipline concerned with plants that may be considered weeds, their effects on human activities, and their management [1] "a branch of applied ecology that attempts to modify the environment against natural evolutionary trends.".