Pesticides and Fertilizers

Pesticides are chemical agents frequently used in agriculture and industry to kill unwanted organisms such as insects, weeds, and fungi. Fertilizers are materials applied to agricultural soil to enhance its ability to produce plentiful, healthy plants, and although many are phosphate-or petroleum-based, some consist of organics, such as animal and human “biosolids” (a promotional term for toxic sludge). Both pesticides and fertilizers have been increasingly used by consumers in residential and garden applications, more commonly exposing urban and suburban dwellers to toxins that were once found mostly in rural and industrial environments. For the home gardener there is considerable information available on practices and products that enable one to garden organically, including the use of natural fertilizers, composts, and forms of pest eradication.