How Are Pesticides Used On Crops?

Day 2:

Pesticides are used mainly on produce in order to protect the crops from being eaten away. Here are some ways that they are used. They can be sprayed on by...

Hose,

Tractor,

 Automatic Sprinklers,

And last but not least, planes.

(All photo's used above and their links can be found in out Photo Gallery)

-Roni

So Many Pesticides!!!!!

Day 2:


Today in class, we looked up information on what is a pesticide and what problems do they cause. So we explored the PAN Pesticide Database and found many interesting facts. Did you know that certain pesticides are classified as PAN Bad Actors. PAN Bad Actor pesticides are at least one of the following: Known or probable carcinogens, reproductive or developmental toxicants, neurotoxic cholinesterase inhibitors, or known groundwater contaminants. If you look at the amount of PAN Bad Actors in most crops we grow in California, it's absurd! All these plants are contaminated with pounds and pound of these different PAN Bad Actors every year just to keep pests away. But it's not just in our plants, its in our produce to.


-Roni

Chemical Formula of Pesticides

Day 2:

I went online to the PAN pesticide database (link on the side) and looked at the pesticides used in our county.  One of the first pesticides to come up is sulfuryl flouride, a known PAN Bad Actor.  The chemical formula for sulfuryl flouride, also known as sulfuryl oxyflouride, is F₂O₂S.  This means it has two flouride atoms, two oxygen atoms and one sulfur atom.  This makes it a compound.  It is a colorless odorless gas.  It belongs to the chemical family of inorganic acid halides.  It is non-corrosive to metals.  When it is heated to decomposition, it emits hydrogen flouride and sulfur dioxide fumes, both of which are extrememly toxic.
(taken from the California CDPR Database linked on the side)

-Seth