EU Action on pesticides

[Leafmite]

This is not the first time that pesticides have been banned. It sometimes takes long-term studies to discover the unintended consequences and effects. Lindane and Chlorpyrifos both worked very well but were found to have adverse effects on humans. Others destroy nearby aquatic life. The problem with using chemical control is that it is difficult to target specific organisms, especially when many other organisms in the environment might have similar systems that allow them to also be affected in some way.

I believe that one day soon, insect control will, perhaps, delve into an entirely different direction: biological control. We have more potential players in our arsenal now: bacteria, virus, fungus, and other means that can be used to more directly target specific pests. Mosquito dunks are just one example. Scientists have gotten rid of some pests by releasing genetically altered or sterile versions of the pests and this might also be used more frequently. The problem is, all this development takes time, money, and often many failures before there is success.

Another possibility is small robots programmed to simulate predator bugs. It really is not all that far-fetched when you think of the current research in the medical field.

Herbicides?
I strongly believe that artificial intelligence will soon be trained to identify weeds and machines will be built using this technology to destroy them. Farming is getting very technologically advanced already and AI is getting pretty good with ID.