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Zur wirtschaftlichen Bedeutung des Pflanzenschutzes 1
Author(s) -
Schuhmann G.
Publication year - 1975
Publication title -
zeitschrift für angewandte entomologie
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.795
H-Index - 60
eISSN - 1439-0418
pISSN - 0044-2240
DOI - 10.1111/j.1439-0418.1975.tb04145.x
Subject(s) - yield (engineering) , chemical control , chemical plant , chemical agents , toxicology , microbiology and biotechnology , risk analysis (engineering) , business , biology , biochemical engineering , environmental science , engineering , agronomy , environmental engineering , materials science , metallurgy
On the economical importance of plant protection . The assessment of losses caused by plant diseases and plant pathogens is still largely dependent upon rough estimates. Therefore, it is highly desirable to learn more about the importance of individual pathogens and to develop methods for long term prognoses. The latter may be hampered by the rapid change of production methods which can cause unpredictable alterations in the prevalence of pathogens. There is abundant evidence that the problems of plant protection have not decreased during the last decades. Presently, there seems to be general agreement that plant protection measures are necessary, controversies, however, exist concerning the extent of the use of chemical plant protection agents and the choice of methods. More attention should be paid to the improvement of methods of plant cultivation without undervaluing the central importance of chemical measures which are indispensible in the control of many diseases, pathogens and weeds. The need to rationalize frequently leaves no other choice but the use of chemical plant protection measures. It is assumed that on the average the ratio of costs versus efficiency ranges between 1 : 3 to 1 : 9 for chemical plant protection agents, in favourable cases it is even better. The increase in yield resulting from chemical plant protection measures is recognized directly as an increase of the net yield. No evaluation, however, can presently be made of the costs resulting from the necessary surveillance of residues and undesirable side effects of plant protection agents.