Pesticides Head for Recovery

In the U.S. today companies' fortunes can rise and fall on pesticide sales. For instance, much of Monsanto's profits over the past couple of years have come from its agricultural chemical operations. And Stauffer Chemical ran into trouble last year as the company's pesticide sales were adversely affected by government programs. Last year was indeed trouble for pesticides. However, this year certainly promises much better times, as crop acreage improves and farm prices pick up. In some ways, pesticides are still coming into their own. There is probably more research being done in this relatively small segment of the chemical industry than in any other with the exception of pharmaceuticals. No longer are the products crude poisons that could kill the plant as well as the pest. Instead, they are fairly narrow, specific acting control substances for weeds, insects, and other pests. And they are much more active compounds than in the past, with applications ...