Show 1 j Pesticide crunch ups food costs Public demand that pesticide residues be eliminated from the environment has resulted in the phasing out or restricted use of several effective pesticides As these compounds have been withdrawn insect control has become more difficult and often more expensive This results in ina a continued increase in the cost of many food crops according to Reed S. S Roberts Extension Entomologist Utah State UI University HE liE NOTED that the use of DDT has been greatly restricted Now the Federal Government is taking steps to further restrict the use of aldrin heptachlor and chlordane Because these chemicals tend to persist in the environment they also are being phased out even though they have been among the most effective and most economical of or all chemical pesticides The problems associated with the restriction of low cost pesticides are compounded by a concern of the substitute substitute substitute sub sub- chemicals win be in short supply during 1975 1978 THE TIlE entomologist said The public has been told that there are substitutes for the chemicals being banned However the people may not know that the substitutes are limited in number often much less effective than the chemicals they will replace and usually ar are are much more toxic to man They have also been told that there are other methods of pest control which are much less damaging to the environment environment environment en en- than chemicals This is true in part but in most cases these other methods are still in inthe inthe inthe the experimental stage or else they are very expensive to use Roberts acknowledges that there is a real need for new effective economical pest control methods which will meet the needs of the growers and satisfy the en en- He said Some of the new methods being tried for pest control that show promise are insect growth regulators insect pheromones sex hormones which are used as attractants insect sex and some newly discovered parasites Considerable sums of money have been spent in an effort to develop biological control methods A few of these have worked but most have been unsuccessful Roberts advocates a stepped up research program to find better methods of pest control This is essential if the prese present t trend of banning or restricting needed pesticides is to con con- |