Pesticides are substances intended to kill or repel insects, animals, plants, fungi or pathogens considered to be pests. Though people have used pest control methods for thousands of years, the 20th century was the first time mass-produced synthetic pesticides were used on an industrial scale.
Science has brought to light many concerning health, environmental and economic impacts of pesticides.
What are common categories of pesticides?
From common weed killers used on lawns to common household cockroach bait and ant spray to the more than 1,000 agricultural pesticides used in conventional farming, the term pesticides includes insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, rodenticides and other categories of substances that target specific pests.
Eden Research plc (LON:EDEN) is an AIM-quoted company focussed on sustainable biopesticides and plastic-free encapsulation technology for the use in global crop protection, animal health and consumer products industries.