Pesticides controlled release into soils

For example, in the case of Bt-corn, a gene from a naturally occurring soil bacterium. Bacillus thuring-ensis, was inserted into corn to provide resistance to the corn borer. The gene from the bacterium produces a protein, Bt delta endotoxin, which kills the European and southwestern com borer larvae. Bt-com eliminates the need to spray insecticides to control com borers. Although planting these crops reduces the amount of pesticides released into the environment, the long-term effects of Bt-com on human health and the environment are not known. 

An example of the variety available for controlled release of pesticides from physically bonded polymer materials is found in incorporating aldicarb and dimethoate. The pesticides were generally mixed with preformed polymers and additional additives and the solvents were allowed to evaporate. The efficacy from the release of these two pesticides from such a combination is shown in Table 1. It is clear that various polymer formulations give quite a large range of release times. Release of these two pesticides from plastic formulations into soil have given similar percentages when compared over a 28 day period. 

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