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Agriculture vocabulary · Pests, Diseases and Weeds

Insecticide

Meaning in agriculture, with examples

nounCore term

In agriculture, insecticide means: A product used to kill or control insects that damage crops, stored grain or animals.

In Turkish: insektisit, böcek ilacı

How it is used

Farmers spray insecticides when pest numbers pass a threshold. Advisers talk about broad-spectrum and selective insecticides, systemic insecticides and their effect on bees and natural enemies.

Example sentences

  1. Do not spray the insecticide while the sunflowers are flowering, because it harms bees.

  2. Aphid numbers were low, so we decided not to use an insecticide.

Common collocations

  • apply an insecticide
  • broad-spectrum insecticide
  • systemic insecticide
  • insecticide resistance
  • pesticideA chemical or biological product used to kill or control pests, weeds or plant diseases; the general name for insecticides, herbicides, fungicides and similar products.
  • pestAn insect, mite, rodent or other animal that damages crops, stored products or livestock; in a wider sense, any organism that harms crops.
  • sprayTo apply a liquid such as a pesticide or foliar fertilizer onto crops in small drops, using a sprayer.
  • biological controlThe control of pests, weeds or diseases by using their natural enemies, such as predatory insects, parasitic wasps or beneficial microorganisms.
  • integrated pest managementAn approach to crop protection that combines monitoring, prevention, biological and cultural methods, and uses pesticides only when pest levels justify it.

More terms: Pests, Diseases and Weeds

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