Synthetic-organic Insecticides

Synthetic-organic insecticides were widely developed beginning in the 1940s.  These compounds are the primary insecticides used for the control of insect pests.  The first class of synthetic-organic insecticides used on a large scale were the organochlorines, followed by organophosphate and carbamate insecticides.  Synthetic pyrethroid insecticides were first marketed in the late 1970’s, and on a worldwide basis, and they are probably the most useful insecticides for the control of agricultural insect pests.  Beginning in the mid 1990s, several new classes of insecticides were introduced for insect control in agriculture.  These include neonicotinoid insecticides such as Centric, Trimax and Intruder that are frequently used in the production of agricultural crops.  Other new classes of insecticides used in field crops are represented by spinosad (e.g., Tracer®), emamectin benzoate (e.g., Denim®) and indoxacarb (e.g., Steward®).  Also recently, new insect growth regulators have been developed and are being widely used for insect control in many agricultural systems.  There are other new insecticide classes which are used to a limited extent in the production of cotton, corn, soybean and other field crops.  With some exceptions, mostly with IGR insecticides, synthetic-organic insecticides affect nerve processes of insects.  The toxicity to humans and other non-target organisms often varies widely among and within the various classes of synthetic-organic insecticides.