ABSTRACT
In view of the economic stress on agriculture and the heightened concern of society relating to pesticide residues in the environment, even more emphasis must be placed on reducing the rate of pesticide application by the incorporation of adjuvants. Research efforts are concentrated on investigation of the mode of action of adjuvants per se, as well as their role in pesticide formulation, application, and efficacy. Vast sums of money are expended worldwide each year in the search for new and effective pesticides. Literally thousands of potential agricultural pesticides are synthesized and screened for their ability to selectively control target organisms. In recent years, valuable synthetic pesticides were almost lost in the filing system because they proved ineffective at the preliminary screening stages of testing. Traditionally, the major oils used in spray formulations have been petroleum based. However, the increasing cost of petroleum products has resulted in crop seed oils being investigated as an alternative source adjuvant in the pesticide industry.
