Pesticides are an important global industry, but are treated with great public suspicion and are frequently in the news. Claims have been made for alternative ‘silver bullets’ such as GM crops and (at the other extreme) organic agriculture, but these can likewise be called into question.

Pesticide application is often highly inefficient, but practical efforts to improve the situation are rare. This site has been developed to promote better selection and use of pesticides (applying safer agents more efficiently).

• What is the human and environmental impact?
• Are there alternative pest management methods?
• Can the technology be improved?
• How can application be made safer?

• Can techniques be improved?
• When is the best time to apply?
• Which control agents?
• What about biological pesticides?

• How much hits the target?
• Is spraying cost effective?
• What is actually happening here?
• Are there alternative machines?

• Application techniques: the DROPDATA resource pages
• Wider issues related to pesticides: advocacy of Responsible (rational) Pesticide Use (RPU)
• Current IPARC activities
• Presentations and down-loadable utilities and linkages with other web pages promoting these aims.
• Encouraging linkages between research groups and extension workers interested in optimising pesticide use