ABSTRACT
Several studies have suggested that pesticide use in the US can be reduced 35 to 50% by employing alternative or nonchemical pest controls while maintaining crop yields, and in some cases increasing yields. This chapter examines the technical feasibility of reducing fungicide and herbicide use in the US without reducing crop yields and while maintaining current "cosmetic standards". The increase in crop losses associated with recent changes in agricultural practices strongly suggest that many existing alternative strategies would reduce pesticide use. Fungicide use can be effectively reduced through the employment of crop rotations, scouting, and forecasting. Substituting nonchemical alternatives for some herbicides and fungicides used on 40 major crops has the potential to reduce their use by nearly 50%. Clearly, there are more substitute alternative controls for herbicides than fungicides. Reducing herbicide and fungicide use would help satisfy the concerns of the majority of the public, who worry about pesticide levels in their food and damage to the environment.
