From earliest times man has used his ingenuity to coax the most that he can from the soil. He has tried to select the healthiest grains to use as next year's seedcorn and he has tried to arrest the ravages of insect pests, diseases and competing weeds.

In the late 20th century, the techniques used became increasingly sophisticated and plant breeding became an exact science…

[Geoffrey Goodson on cereal seeds]

Yields of any crop can be devastated by insect invasion, attack from plant diseases , by weed infestation or a combination of all three.

From 1880 until the Second World War, the use of chemicals on crops was confined to substances such as Lime, Copper Sulphate, soaps and tar washes. Most control method simply relied upon good husbandry and a deep knowledge of the crops and their ailments.

Prevention rather than cure was the principle to follow.

The production of DDT in 1939 changed the face of agrichemicals for ever and a whole new industry grew up after the war…

[Geoffrey Goodson on agrichemicals]

Many new chemicals were synthesised during the 1960's and 1970's and were widely used on a variety of crops. Although most of those products are still in use; a number of them now have far greater restrictions of use placed upon them. This is because some of the dangers and drawbacks of a new chemical are not always fully appreciated at the time.

The use of powerful pesticides is, today, a contentious issue.

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