INSECTICIDES

OUTLINES:-

1. INTRODUCTION
2. CLASSIFICATION OF INSECTICIDE
3. REFRENCES

INTRODUCTION

Insecticide are agents of chemical or biological origin, that control insects, control may
result from killing the insect or otherwise preventing it from engaging in behavior deemed
destructive.
Insecticides may be natural or man-made and are applied to target pest in a myriad of
formulations and delivery systems.
Example sprays, baits, slow-released diffusion e.t.c.
CLASSIFICATION OF INSECTICIDE
Insecticide is organized into classes that shares common chemical structures and mode of
action (MOA).
MOA is a specific process by which an insecticide kills an insects or inhibits its growths
while target site of action is the exact location of inhibition.
Insecticides are classified into:-

1. Chemicals insecticides which include:- Organo chlorides, organophosphates,

carbemate, dinitro phenols, organotins, pyrethroids e.t.c.
2. Botanicals insecticide:- Which are substances extracted from plant. Examples
pyrethrum, nicotine, limonene, neemoil
3. Biorational insecticides:- Which are man-made substance resembles those of natural
origin
1- CHEMICAL INSECTICIDES
Insecticides made from chemical substances and includes:-
i- ORGANOCHLORIDES:-
 This contain C, H and Cl and are very active insecticide before they are out dated due
to their effects on the environment. Examples DDT, chlorobenzilate,
Hexachlorohexane, cyclodienes and poly chloroterpenes.

Hexachlorohexane DDT
MODE OF ACTIONS
Generally organochlorides are neurotoxicant causing an imbalance in sodium and
potassium ions.
ii- ORGANOPHOSPHATES (OPS):-
This includes all insecticides containing phosphorus.
Examples melathion, ethylparathion, diazon e.t.c.

melathion
MODE OF ACTION:-
OP’S work by inhibiting certain important enzymes of nerous system namely
cholinesterase (chE).
This result to the accumulation of acetylcholine (Ach) at neuromuscular junction or
synapse causing rapid tuciteching of voluntary muscles and finally paralysis.
iii- CARBAMATE:-
Carbamate are derived from carbamic acid (as OP’s are derivatives of phosphoric acid).
Examples carbaryl (serin), carbofuran (furadan), methiocarb (mesunol) aldicarb e.t.c.
 carbaryl (serin)
MODE OF ACTION
Just like OP’s carbamates inhibits cholinterase (che) but there is two main difference:-
(a) Some carbamate are potent inhibitors of aliesterase
(b) Inhibition of cholinterase by carbomate is reversible
iv- DINTROPHENOL
Even though they have all been withdrawn due to their inherent toxicity dinitrophenol
such as binapcyl and dinolarp are important insecticisdes.
MODE OF ACTION
Act by inhibiting oxidative phophoryletion, which basically prevent the ATP formation
v- ORGANOTIN:
Carbon compound of tin such as cyhexatin and fenbutation oxide

Cyhexatin
MODE OF ACTION:-
Exactly same with limitrophenols
vi- PYRETHROIDS
This is a synthetic pyrethroids which is stable and effective in sunlight unlike netural
phyrethrum which is unstable in sunlight.
Example allethrin, tetramethrin, fenuale rate, bifenthrin, lambda-cyhadothrin et.c.
MODE OF ACTIONS
Resembles DDT, but the stimulation, effect of pyrethnoid is much more pronounced then
that of DDT.

2- BOTANICAL INSECTICIDES
Botanical insecticides are of great interest to many, for they are natural, insecticides
toxicant derived from plant.
Examples:-
i- PYRETHRUM
Extracted from the flowers of chrysanthemum grown in Kenya and Ecuador. Its one of
oldest and safest insecticides available.
MODE OF ACTIONS
Pyrethrum is an axonic poison like DDT and synthetic pyrethroids
ii- NICOTINE
Extracted by several methods from Tobacco effective against most type of insect’s pest,
but used particularly for aphids and ceterpillers (soft bodies insects).
Nicotene is an alkaloid, a chemical compound lcass of hetracyclic compound
Other will known alkaloid that are not insecticide include caffeine, quinine, morphine
cocaine e.t.c.
MODE OF ACTIONS
Nicotine mimics acetylcholive (Ach) at the numomuscular junction in mammals and
result in twitching, collunlsion and deaths all in rapid order.
In insect the same action is observed, but only in the CNS ganglia.
iii- LIMONENE OR D-LIMONENE:-
Limonene belong to group often called floral or scented plant chemicals.
Extracted from citrus peel, it is effective against all external pests of pets including fleas,
lice mite and ticks and is virtually nontoxic to warm-blooded animals.
 d-limonene
MODE OF ACTIONS
Similar to that of pyrethrum. It affects the sensory nerves of the peripheral nervous
system but it is not a chlonestrase (che) inhibitor
iv- Neem oil
This is extracts from squaeezed seeds of the neems tree containing ingredient
azadirachtin.
Azadirachtin shows some rather sensational, fungicidal and bactericidal properties
including insects’ growth regulating qualities.
MODE OF ACTIONS
Azadirachtin disrupts molting by inhibiting biosynthesis or metabolism of ecdysone, the
juvenile molting hormone
3- BIORATIONAL INSECTICIDES
Biorational has come to mean any substance of natural origin (or man-made substance
resembling those of natural origin) that has a detrimental or lethal effect on specific target pest(s)
e.g. insects.
Biorational possess a unique mode of action and are non-toxic to man and his domestic
plants, animals and have little or no adverse effect on wild life and the environment.
Biopesticides are categories into three (3)

i- Microbial pesticides (bacteria, fungi, virus or protozoa)

ii- Biochemical natural substances that control pest by non-toxic mechanism e.g. insects
pheromones
iii- Plant in cooperated protectant (primarily transgenic plant e.g. Bt-corns) Biorational
have:-
(a) Very low order of toxicity to non-target species.
(b) Several low use rates
 (c) Rapid decomposition in the environment

INSECTICIDES PERSISTENCE IN THE ENVIRONMENT

Insecticides, in addition to their potential negative effects on human health, pose adverse effects

also on the environment (water, soil and air contamination, toxic effects on non-target

organisms). In particular, inappropriate use of insecticides has been linked with: (1) adverse

effects on non-target organisms (e.g., reduction of beneficial species populations), (2) water

contamination from mobile insecticides or from pesticide drift, (3) air pollution from volatile

pesticides, (4) injury on non-target plants from insecticides drift, (5) injury to rotational crops

from insecticides residues remained in the field, (6) crop injury due to high application rates,

wrong application timing or unfavourable environmental conditions at and after pesticide

application.

Many of the adverse effects of insecticides on the environment depend on the interactions

between the physicochemical properties (vapour pressure, stability, solubility, pK a) of the

pesticide, soil adsorption and soil persistence, the soil factors (pH, organic components,

inorganic surfaces, soil moisture, soil microflora, soil fauna), the plant species, and the climatic

variation. Also, the toxicity, the dosage applied, the weather conditions prevailing after the

pesticide application, and how long the pesticide persists in the environment could account for its

adverse effects on the environment.

All pesticides break down - eventually into hydrogen, carbon and oxygen.

1. Short Lived pesticides, Some break down in hours or a few days

2. Long lived or persistent pesticides, determined by: conditions of temperature, sunlight,

air and location.