Irani Mukherjee

Behavior of Acetamiprid: Its Environmental Fate Irani Mukherjee

Acetamiprid, a neonicotinoid belongs to relatively a new class of systemic insecticides with a unique mode of action, which makes it highly effective for controlling especially the sucking insect pests. It has been approved for use on different crops, oilseeds, cotton, etc by the Central Insecticide Board Registration Committee. These crops are attacked by a number of insect pests such as aphids, jassids, leaf hoppers, whiteflies, etc. The conventional insecticides recommended for the control of these insect-pests belong to the group organophosphates and synthetic pyrethroids. These insecticides though effective, have proved unsafe towards environment because of the toxicity problem associated with their degradates. Acetamiprid (Pride 20 SP) a novel insecticide was evaluated on cabbage, as an alternative for the conventional insecticide and to assess the environmental load of its residues. Acetamiprid poses low risks to the ecosystem because of its rapid dissipation and low bound residue in the environment. The analysis should help one who is especially working in the field of residue analysis to find safer insecticides to be recommended to the farmer?s use in field.