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Abstract
The use of agricultural crop pesticides has increased more than
five-fold since 1950.1/ U.s. consumption of chemical pesticides currently
exceeds one billion pounds of active ingredients annually; more than
half of this volume is used for agriculturally-related enterprises. The
explanation behind such growth is one of economics. The agricultural
producer's rationale for using chemical pesticides on crops is to increase
net revenues through 1) improved yields associated with more effective
pest management, and/or 2) decreased cost of pest control.