Further, pesticides are now often applied at much lower rates, typically at grams per hectare rather than kilograms per hectare as in the past. Despite the improvements in current pesticides, however, further precautions may be helpful to reduce losses to the atmosphere. For example, spraying only during calm conditions and ensuring that droplets are large enough to prevent their suspension in the air reduces pesticide drift. In some cases, it may be possible to reduce rates or frequency of pesticide application by relying on other methods of pest control. For example, biological methods can now control some weeds and insects.
Pesticides help to produce high yields on Canadian farms.
Given their potential effects on human health and the environment, however, farmers need to be vigilant to prevent pesticides from leaving the target site. The crops, livestock, and soils that make up our farms are immersed in air. They give out gases and particles that change the air's composition, both locally and far afield. At the same time, they take in and are affected by air that has been altered by industry and other human activity. As a result, farms are sensitive markers of La Sant de l'air que nous respirons.