ABSTRACT
In recent times, the main problem has been feeding the increasing population. In this context, the application of pesticides is playing a very important role in increasing the yield of plants by reducing the risk of pest attacks. However, excess applications lead to the accumulation of pesticide residues in food crops and disturbance in their metabolic activities as well. In order to cope with this situation, plants endogenously produce several enzymes to reduce the level of pesticide toxicity. Along with this endogenous strategy, some exogenous way is also adapted to reduce the level of toxicity. Application of phytohormones is one of the sustainable ways to solve this problem. They show an impact on growth, development, nutrient allocation and source or sink transitions. Among different phytohormones, auxin, salicylic acid and brassinosteroids are important signaling molecules that are used to ameliorate the pesticide stress. Within this context, this chapter reviews the effect of pesticide toxicity on plant physiological and biochemical activities and the mitigation strategy to reduce the pesticide stress.
