Abstract
Man is an integral part of the ecosystem and any action of his against the environment has an effect against man himself.
An Agro-ecosystem is a unit composed of the total complex of organisms in an area under cultivation, plus the totality of the physical environmental conditions and the modifications introduced by man, who manages the agro-ecosystem for his own benefit.
The use of pesticides has been necessary for the agricultural development of some tropical areas. Unfortunately, the inadequate use of this input has caused many problems for man himself. These include destruction of natural resources; intoxications; pesticide residues in water and foods; secondary pest outbreaks; increase in illnesses transmitted by certain arthropods; loss of foreign exchange; unemployment; malnutrition; disability; high infant mortality and poverty.
A better use of agro-ecosystem management techniques can lead to a rational sustained utilization of land resources. Chemical pesticides can be considered as one of the factors in pest management, and not necessarily the only one available.
References
Adam, A. V. 1972. Summary of Joint FAO/lndustry seminar on the safe effective and efficient utilization of pesticides in agriculture and public health in Central America and the Caribbean. (TF: LAY / 16) Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. AGPP: MISC/6. Roma. 25 pp.
Bates, M. 1972. The Human environment. The Horace M. Albright Conservation Lectureship. II. Berkeley, University of California, School of Foresty. 22 pp.
Doutt, R. L. 1964. Ecological considerations in chemical control. Implications to non-target invertebrates. Bull. Entomol. Soc. Amer., 10: 67-88.
Falcon, L. A. 1971. Progreso del control integrado en el algodón en Nicaragua. Rev. Peruana Entomol. 14: 376-378.
Falcon, L. A., & R. Daxl 1973. Report to the Govemment 01 Nicaragua on the integrated control of cotton pests. Nic./70/002 AGP, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Roma. 58 pp.
Falcon, L. A., & R. F. Smith 1974. Manual de control integrado de plagas del algodonero. Organización de las Naciones Unidas para la agricultura y la Alimentación. Roma. 87 pp.
Farvar, M. Taghi, G. D . Propp, & J. de J. Castro 1971. Implicaciones ecológicas del control de insectos del algodón e n Guatemala, temporada 1970-1971. Consejo Nacional del Algodón. Guatemala. 46 pp.
Georghiou, G. P. 1972. The evolution of resistance to pesticides. Ann. Rev. Ecol. System., 3: 133-168.
Georghiou, G. P. 1972. Studies on resistance to carbamate and organophosphorus insecticides in Anopheles albimanus. Amer, J. Trap. Med. Hyg., 21: 797-806.
Olszyna·Marzys, A. E., M. de Campos, M. Taghi Farvar, & M. Thomas 1973. Residuos de plaguicidas dorados en leche humana en Guatemala. Bot. Ofic. Sanit. Panamer., 74: 93-107.
Peterson, G. D., J. Sequeira Femández, & F. Estrada Rizo 1969. Principios y problemas del control integrado de plagas del algodón en Nicaragua. Ministerio de Agricultura y Ganadería. Nicaragua. 183 pp.
Scrimshaw, N. S., C. E. Taylor, & J. E. Gordon 1968. Interactions of nutrition and inlection. World Health Organization. Monograph Series No. 57. 329 pp.
Sioli, H. 1973. Recent human activities in the Brazilian Amazon region and their
ecological elects. The careless technology. Doubleday. New York. p. 321-334.
Smith, R. F., & H. T. Reynolds 1966. Principles, definitions and scope of íntegrated pest control. Proceedings of the FAO Symposium of Integrated Pest Control. Vol. 1, Roma. FAO 11-17.
Smith, R. F. & H. T. Reynolds 1973. Effects of manipulation of cotton agro-ecosystems on insect pest populations. The Careless technology. Doubleday. New York.
Tapia, B. H. 1972. 16 años de labor experimental del programa de mejoramiento de maíz en Nicaragua. Centro Experimental Agropecuario "La Calera". Ministerio de Agricultura y Ganadería. Nicaragua. Boletín Técnico No. 1. 103 pp.
Wolfenbarger, D. A., M. J. Lukefom & H. M. Graham 1971. A field population of bollworms resistant to Methyl parathion. J. Econ. Entomol. 64: 755-756.
Zeissig, J. A. de 1973. Investigación de insecticidas residuales en la fauna marina de los esteros de la costa sur de Guatemala. Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala. 71 pp.
Comments
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Copyright (c) 1976 Revista de Biología Tropical