The word pesticides is an general term and includes insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, nematicides, acaricides, molluscicides etc. The latter terms are more informative concerning the target pest that is controlled.

I therefore do not agree with your dictionary, that says "Pesticides are chemicals that farmers put on their crops to kill harmful insects."

Dear Prof. Lennart Weltje

Thanks for the clear answer and refining my knowledge of English language.

Although I appreciate your first and foremost comment on my question here, I may not consent to all of your explanations. For example, 80% of your interpretation is agreed, while the 20% is not.

Thus, the two "mistaken points" (I personally think) must be pointed out.

1, In your text, you emphasized the dictionary was "my dictionary". But actually it is really not my dictionary. The annotation is sourced from the famous "Collins Dictionary" instead of "Cai Dictionary". This is the first point that you must understand. Thank you for your understanding.

2, Let us come back to my Collins Dictionary unless you may illustrate your favorite dictionary to help us. I agree that pesticides include a series of the farm chemicals, such as insecticides, fungicides, nematicides, acaricides, molluscicides, but excluding herbicides I think. Collins Dictionary explains that "Pests are insects or small animals that damage crops or food supplies". According to this logic, pesticides are those chemical agents that can generally kill the pests. The pests are insects and small animals. Do you believe any herbs belong to any forms of insects or small animals? If not, the comprehensively general jargon "pesticides" cannot comprise "herbicides", in my humble opinion.

You are welcome to share any of your comments and ideas to me and teach me. because I have already followed you on Researchgate.

I am looking forward to your writing back.

Honorable regards,

S.C.

Dear Xiang,

I am totally agree with Dr. Lennart, where insecticides is a part of pesticides.

Insecticides: are synthesis chemicals can be used to control insect pests only.

Pesticides: are any synthesis chemicals can be used to control any living organism can cause a plant damage. this organism can be insect, fungi, weeds, bacteria, nematodes.

For example, if your target pest is bacteria, you will call the synthesis chemicals Bactericides. if your target pest is fungi, you will call the chemical substances fungicides.

In case of insect pests, the chemical substances called insecticides.

Regards,

Dear Akram Ali Mohammed ,

I also agree him at this point. But then my question goes even further, for example, does the concept of "pesticides" incorporates "herbicides"?

What is your idea?

Best,

X.C.

Yes, it is.

In this case

PESTICIDES incorporates:

1- Insecticides

2- Fungicides

3- Bactericides

4- Herbicides

5- Nematicides

Dear Akram Ali Mohammed,

Thank you for reissuing the knowledgeable list.

Then, could you attach some textbooks to prove the issue.

It really challenges my understanding toward the word "pesticides". It unexpectedly includes "herbicides". As far as I understood, the herbicides can only be categorized into the types of farm chemicals.

Furthermore, farm chemicals = pesticides?

Best,

X.C.

Dear Xiang,

I meant of course the doctionary that you used, not literally your personal dictionary.

A chemicals with "-cide"" in its name is intended to control an organism group. The organism group is then indicated by the first part of the name: herbi-, mollusci-, bacteri- etc. It can also be useful to consider how a substance is used, e.g. as a crop protection product, desinfectant, wood preservative or as a (veterinary) pharmaceutical. This can also play a role in the name giving, although the substance can be the same.

Hope this helps.

Best regards, Lennart Weltje

here is an online resource with some helpful information: http://www.alanwood.net/pesticides/class_pesticides.html

Dear Prof. Lennart Weltje,

Thank you for your clear and patient explanation. Thanks for your teaching.

Learning a methodology of study is always much better than only obtaining the knowledge of itself. I really enjoy and appreciate your analysis of the vocabulary structure. It truly helps my memory and understanding.

My research background is based on analytical chemistry for environmental application. I have concentrated myself on the new area - ecotoxicology, since my PhD began.

Let us keep in the message contact. My email address: [email protected]. I need to learn and improve both the practical skills and knowledge of ecotoxicology. And this is what you are mastery of. I authentically hope you can help in the future.

Also, thanks for the useful and helpful link to the website.

Thank you so much.

Honorable regards,

S.C.

insect Definition of FAO:- “Any substance or mixture of substances intended for preventing, destroying or controlling any pest, including vectors of human or animal disease, unwanted species of plants or animals.” Definition of FAO and WHO (2014) “Any substance, or mixture of substances of chemical or biological ingredients intended for repelling, destroying or controlling any pest, or regulating plant growth.” Definition of EU "A 'pesticide' is something that prevents, destroys, or controls a harmful organism ('pest') or disease, or protects plants or plant products during production, storage and transport. The term includes, amongst others: herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, acaricides, nematicides, molluscicides, rodenticides, growth regulators, repellents, rodenticides and biocides." In general, pesticide is a substance that kills a pest (insect, weed, bacteria, fungi, nematode…); Herbicide = plant killer; Insecticide = insect killer; Rodenticide = rodent killer; Other “cides”……..??

pesticide means any substance or mixture of substance or living organism intended for preventing ,destroying or controlling

a) any pest including vector of human or animal disease

b)un wanted species of plant or animal causing harm during or otherwise interfering with production, processing, storage, transport or marketing of food, agricultural commodity, wood or wood products or animal feeding stuff; or

c)insect or other pest on bodies of animal:

and include substance intended for use as plant growth regulator, defoliant, descant, or agent for thinning fruit or preventing the premature fall of fruit....etc

as general the first one is a broad term where as the second one is to specific

No

Pesticides are chemicals that may be used to kill fungus, bacteria, insects, plant diseases, snails, slugs, or weeds among others. ...

Insecticides are a type of pesticide that is used to specifically target and kill insects.

Dear Mohammednur Zinabu and Dr. Sachin Kumar Jaiswal ,

Thanks for all the terminological definitions and the specified answers to my question.

The question seemed good to be asked, because it caught the attentions and created the valuable answers from professors, researchers and Drs.

In essence, it really sharp my idea that the inclusion of term "herbicide" in the concept of "pesticide" ought to be accepted.

In conclusion, "pesticide" is a term in the broad sense, which should include both "insecticide" and "herbicide" in the case of toxicology.

As Dr. Mohammednur Zinabu texted, any "un wanted species of plant or animal" belong to the conceptual scope of pests, if I do not misunderstand. It is undeniable that the word "pest" defined in toxicology may challenge again against the general definition of "pest" in the dictionary (e.g., " Pests are insects or small animals that damage crops or food supplies "). It seems that I need to spend more time reading references silently than asking a query publicly. Haha......

This case means reference reading is more important relevance to your study than only understanding a notion by language itself.

Thanks and regards,

S.C.

Always welcome Sir

Dear Dr. Sachin Kumar Jaiswal ,

Thank you, my brother.

Best,

S.C.

Pesticide means any chemical that is used to mange the pests and is the broader term including insecticides, acaricides, fungicides, herbicides, rodenticide and nematocides etc, while insecticide is the type of pesticides that kill/disrupt the activities of only insect pests

Muhammad Ashraf Khan ,

Then there is very interesting question I want to ask you, Prof. Muhammad Ashraf Khan.

Think of the interesting fact, please.

If an insect who did not harm a plant (who might target another kind of plant) just passed by the plant where the pesticide used ever, then the insect was killed of course. Speaking in this case, the toxic chemical compound can be named insecticide or not? If you agree with the unique case, then the insecticides may kill/disrupt the activities of any insects. If you disagree, I may agree with you said that the insecticide can kill/disrupt the activities of only insect pests.

Dear Xiang Cai, yes the toxic compound will be insecticide because only insecticide can kill the insects

Dear Muhammad Ashraf Khan ,

Thank you for your answer.

Your agreement with me is welcomed.

Best,

Xiang Cai

Xiang Cai

Pesticides are the compounds used to kill all the pest (weeds, disease, nematodes, rodents, mollusk insects, so on)

But insecticides are chemicals used to kill insects and there are classified under pesticides based on their use.

Kariyanna B. ,

Already understood, thanks. If you do not mind, please check over the comments and my answers in the above list.

Dear Xiang Cai, as a fellow ecotoxicologist, before posting a question, I highly recommend that you simply do a search on Wikipedia. 'pesticides wiki' would have done the trick and provide you with the answer in seconds.

Pesticides is a broad term it means the chemical which is used to manage the pest... Pest could be weed, insects, rodents, pathogens etc, Any organism which cause economic loss to the human.while insecticide is the chemical which is used to kill or manage the insect population below ETL (economic injury level). Insecticide is perticular term comes under the word pesticide.

Pesticide is a general name that include Insecticides.

So in a text, I guess one can replace insecticide with pesticide with high level of clarity. What I mean by clarity is that the book, monograph or article it is used in has to be focused on just insects.

On the other hand, one cannot replace the word 'pesticides' with 'insecticide' if one is discussing about pests other than insects.

so in conclusion, the two words are not equivalent replacement when used in text.

Dear Prof. James W Everts ,

Thank you for the valuable comments.

I totally agree with you. There is noting but cannot login WIKIPEDIA in my country without use of VPN. So, an easy search of “pesticides wiki” on internet becomes a extravagant wish nowadays.

Best wishes,

SC

You have Baidu, isn't it?

Dear James W Everts ,

Thanks for the sustained question. Seemingly, your question caused ripples of explanations.

Baidu.com. Yes, we have. But Baidu does not have English translations and explanations.

Actually the question here was rooted in a query of Chinese-English translation.

I originally and initial wanted to translate "pesticide" into "杀虫剂" (DFNI. the farm chemicals to kill all insects and microorganisms), which could match the general definition in the dictionary. But one of my Chinese colleagues thought that it should be translated into "农药" (DFNI. the farm chemicals to kill all injurious organisms). Then, we had a substantial divergence of opinion toward this issue.

Then, I expect to understand what is the mainstream academic opinions of researchers on Researchgate regarding the terminological definition of "pesticide" in English. Actually, I was able to download some articles in reference to toxicology/ecotoxicology. But there was still a question. I did not know why the dictionary was incompatible with the academic/scientific English terms. So, I skipped over the objectively routine step and asked a question directly on Researchgate, in order to know about the subtle difference between "pesticide" and "insecticide" or "herbicide" in English. I therefore understand what is the optimal translation in Chinese.

The concepts of "pesticide" and "insecticide" in Chinese, no doubt, I understand absolutely. -- "农药" includes "杀虫剂".

Thanks for your time to read the detailed story.

Best,

S.C.

Insecticides are one of the parts of pesticides, which usually includes herbicides and others

I think pesticides and insecticides are not the same. pesticides can kill or inhibit pests but insecticides can kill insects only. That means all pesticides are insecticides but all insecticides may not pesticides.

Thanks for Md Sarowar Alam

Secondly, since the term "pesticide" has larger domain of definition than the domain of "insecticide" in ecotoxicology, why did you give a contradictory answer like " That means all pesticides are insecticides but all insecticides may not pesticides."?

Briefly, pesticide > insecticide or not? You can give a very simple answer to match textbook definition, cannot you?

Best,

S.C.

Pesticide is common term which is applied to all kinds of pest like insects, mites, rodents, etc. but insecticides are only used for insects.

Mohammad Monirul Hasan Tipu ,

Yes, the insecticides are only used for feeding insects. I understood the valuable point.

insecticides are a subset of pesticides. All insecticides are pesticides but not all pesticides are insecticides.

Any organism harmful to plant is usually known as pest. It includes weed, insect, fungi and even a cow can be a pest to crop. Insect is more specific which can harm crop. The chemical which are used to control pest is called pesticide which includes weedicide, insecticide, fungicide and so on. Usually the word "cite" means to kill. Hence it is clear that all insecticides are pesticides but all pesticides are not insecticides.

Thank you Md Golam Azam

Phil Geis I agree with your words

Pesticides: These are chemicals that may be used to treat ( kill) fungus, bacteria, snails, insects, plant diseases, slugs as a whole.

While

Insecticides: These are a type of pesticide that are used specifically to target and kill insects, including; snail bait, ant, worms, termites and wasp etc.

Md Golam Azam Perfectly explained.