7. 'Prolonged use of pesticides is undesirable'. Comment on this statement.
Answers
Answer: Pesticides are chemical preparations used to kill fungal or animal pests. Over 98% of sprayed insecticides and 95% of herbicides reach a destination other than their target species because they are sprayed or spread across entire agricultural fields. Over time, the repeated application increases pest resistance, while its effects on other species can facilitate the pest's resurgence. Each pesticide or pesticide class comes with a specific set of environmental concerns. Such undesirable effects have led many pesticides to be banned, while regulations have limited and/or reduced the use of others. Over time, pesticides have generally become less persistent and more species-specific, reducing their environmental footprint. In addition, the amounts of pesticides applied per hectare have declined, in some cases by 99%.[citation needed] The global spread of pesticide use, including the use of older/obsolete pesticides that have been banned in some jurisdictions, has increased overall.