Use of pesticides in India has substantially increased in recent years. It is increasingly becoming an inevitable input in intensive agriculture systems, which have mainly been fuelled by changes in cropping pattern and practice. Survey results confirmed that there has been a widespread lack of awareness on pesticides and their appropriate handling among the applicators in India. Implementation of alternate pest management strategies to reduce pesticide consumption was found to be ineffective.

In a monitoring study residue levels of organochlorines (OC), synthetic pyrethroids (SP), organophosphates (OP) and carbamates were determined in unprocessed and processed three vegetables viz. brinjal, cauliflower and okra to know the residue levels and evaluate the effect of different household processes (washing and boiling/cooking) on reduction of residues.

Endosulfan, an organochlorine insecticide widely used in the paddy field, tea garden of Assam and N.E. India, creates serious threat to the environment as well as target and non-target organisms like aquatic and land dwelling animals. The present investigation was undertaken to study the effects of endosulfan on some hematological parameters of Channa punctatus.

The effects of an insecticide monocrotophos on some biochemical parameters of the fish, Tilapia mossambica at 24, 48, 72 and 96 hrs of exposures were studied. Median lethal concentration of monocrotophos to the fish for 24 hour exposure was determined during bioassay study. The protein contents were found to be declined in all the samples analyzed during all the exposure periods.

The aim of the study was to find the adsorption and persistence behavior of metalaxyl in different soils of Karnataka.

The persistence of chlorpyrifos in the cured tobacco leaves was studied following foliar applications of chlorpyrifos. The levels of chlorpyrifos residue in cured tobacco leaves increased with increase in the number of foliar applications of chlorpyrifos and pickings performed with closer interval of application.