*Lecturer, Govt. PU College, Ponnampet, Kodagu.
**Assistant Professor, DOS in Economics and Co-operation, University of Mysore, Mysore.
***Professor, DOS in Economics and Co-operation, University of Mysore, Mysore.
Agriculture is the mainstay of the Indian economy, agriculture and allied sectors contribute nearly 14.2 percent of the gross domestic product at present, while about 69.7 percent of the population is dependent on agriculture for their livelihood, as per the economic survey of 2010–11.Pesticides are of most significant among various agricultural inputs in boosting agricultural production and productivity, since pesticide act as protective umbrella for other inputs. Pesticide constitute the control tactics for management of pests and diseases. The production and productivity of crops depends on the efficient control of pests and diseases which are estimated to cause 10–30% losses. Recently, Pesticide related issues have been extensively highlighted in India and Stockholm convention held in Geneva in October 2010. India rejected the proposal to ban endosulfan globally. Subsequently it was banned. This should be a cause for concern especially with new cases of health disorders found in Palakkad of Kerala and Dakshina Kannada in Karnataka. In developing countries like India chemical pesticides are used on a large scale, as they significantly contributed to the enhancement of agriculture production. Indeed as food and fibre requirements of growing population increased coupled with the need to generate foreign exchange and market oriented forming system, increasing agricultural productivity became a vital national concern. This paper tries to explore a detailed understanding of pesticide application in agriculture Issues such as economics of pesticide used, health implications and influence of education on pesticide use. Because, to increase the food production and economic stability, environmental sustainability cannot be forgotten. Against this backdrop a study is proposed for an in depth examinations.
