Doctoral Dissertations

Date of Award

6-1968

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Major

Agricultural Economics

Major Professor

Joe A. Martin

Committee Members

M. B. Badenhop, William Goble, Robert Dotson, T. J. Whatley

Abstract

The road we have long been traveling is deceptively easy, a smooth superhighway on which we progress with great speed, but at its end lies disaster. With the above words, Miss Rachel Carson helped open the door to the argument of the advantages and disadvantages of the use of pesticides. The essence of the argument is that some persons believe that the hazards and unknown risks of large-scale use of pesticides may outweigh the gains to agriculture and public health; that upsetting the balance of nature eventually be disastrous, and other methods of control should be developed. Others are of the opinion the gains in agricultural productivity more than balance losses of other aspects and is reason enough for nonrestriction of their use.² This controversy is still raging and is not the intent here to expound upon this argument but to mention that, as a result of it, much economic, agronomic, and chemical research has been undertaken with pesticide use. Indications are that more research is needed.

Download
Files over 3MB may be slow to open. For best results, right-click and select "save as..."

Share

COinS