Abstract. Pesticides are chemicals that kill or manage the population of pests. There are many different types of pesticides on the market today, but the most common are herbicides and insecticides, which kill or manage unwanted plants and insects. The benefits of pesticides include increased food production, increased profits for farmers and the prevention of diseases. Although pests consume or harm a large portion of agricultural crops, without the use of pesticides, it is likely that they would consume a higher percentage. More food is produced by farmers, thereby increasing profit. Pesticides also increase farm profits by helping the farmer save money on labor costs. Using pesticides reduces the amount of time required to manually remove weeds and pests from the fields. In addition to saving crops and livestock, pesticides have also had direct benefits to human health. It is estimated that since 1945, the use of pesticides has prevented the deaths of around seven million people by killing pests that carry or transmit diseases. Although there are benefits to the use of pesticides, there have also been many problems associated with their use. Pesticides do not always stay in the location where they are applied. They are mobile in the environment and often move through water, air and soil. The problem with pesticide mobility is that when they travel, the pesticides come in contact with other organisms and can cause harm. Pesticides have also been shown to disrupt the balance of an ecosystem. In many situations when a pesticide is used, it also kills non-pest organisms. This can drastically alter the natural balance of the ecosystem. By removing non-pest organisms, the environment can be changed to favor the pest. In addition to causing harm to wildlife, pesticides that travel from their original location are known to cause harm to humans. Human exposure to pesticides has caused poisonings, the development of cancer and the deaths of between 20000 and 40000 people worldwide each year. Another major problem associated with pesticide use is bioaccumulation and biological magnification. Bioaccumulation is when a substance builds up in the body because the body does not have the proper mechanisms to remove it. Many synthetic pesticides are not able to be broken down. Once they enter the body of an organism, they are permanently stored in the body tissue.

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To identify the alternate host plants of the groundnut sucking bug (Rhyparochromus littoralis Dist.) an emerging field insect pest of groundnut in the Sudan Savannah Agro-ecological zone of Nigeria, field experiment was carried out over a period of five (5) years (2011 to 2016) in order to investigate the behavior of R. littoralis with the aim of developing a strategic control method for this insect pest. The study established R. littoralis to be a seasonal pest of groundnut that manifests in high density during the months of September to November causing significant loss to cultivated groundnuts in the field and thereafter, disappears until another harvest period. It was observed that, apart from groundnut, R. littoralis depended on other plants over-season for the sustenance of its life cycle, where it sucks sap from the plant, pods or fruits. Prominent crops found to be a haven for the over-seasoning for this insect pest included, cowpea, maize, guinea corn and sesame, while a significant percentage were found under the bark-shelves of live-shea tree. This study therefore recommended serious sanitation measures and good cultural practices of field maintenance to curb the rapid multiplication of this insect pest.

The efficacy of maize varieties and Lambdacot 500EC concentrations were assessed on the damage caused by maize stem borer (Busseola fusca Fuller) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) on maize during 2015 and 2016 cropping seasons. The experiment was a split-plot design with Lambdacot 500EC concentrations (0.5 , 1.0 and 1.5 l/ha) as the main plots and three maize varieties (SAMMAZ 14, DMR-LSR-Y and BR9943-DMR-SR-W) as the sub-plots on a plot size of 3.0 m x 4.0 m replicated three times. Maize plants were sprayed with the different Lambdacot 500 EC concentrations at 4 and 6 weeks after planting (WAP) The results obtained showed that lowest number of maize plants with leaf sheath pin-holes, dead hearts, and stem tunnels and cobs damage by larvae were recorded on SAMMAZ 14 and DMR-LSR-Y while BR9943-DMR-SR-W had the highest. Maize plants treated with Lambdacot 500EC at 1.0 l/ha and 1.5 l/ha had lowest leaf sheath pinholes, dead hearts, stem tunnels and cob damage while untreated maize plants had the highest damage. The highest maize grain yields was recorded on SAMMAZ 14 and DMR-LSR-Y on 1.0 l/ha and 1.5 l/ha concentrations. This study recommended SAMMAZ 14 and DMR-LSR-Y obtained from IAR treated with Lambdacot 500 EC at 1.0 l/ha and 1.5 l/ha concentrations to maize farmers in the study area.