Table 1.
Classification of Pesticides based on (i) the mode of entry, (ii) the action, (iii) the chemical composition, (iv) the toxicity, and (v) the source of origin
| Classification Based on | Class | Sub-class | Examples | Use/Function | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mode of entry | Systemic pesticide | 2,4-D, glyphosate | They can kill weeds in addition to being absorbed by plants or animals and moving to untreated tissues. | ||
| Non-systemic (Contact) | Paraquat, diquat | They act on target pests when they come in contact. | |||
| Stomach | Malathion | They enter into the pest’s body through their mouth and digestive system. | [32-34] | ||
| Fumigant | Phosphine | They act or may kill the target pests by producing vapour and entering the pest body through a tracheal system. | |||
| Repellent | Methiocarb | They do not kill the pest’s but make pesticides target tasteless enough to keep pests away from the treated area | |||
| Action | Physical Poison | Activated clay | Starts killing pests by applying a physical effect | ||
| Protoplasm | Arsenicals | Subjected for the precipitation of protein | |||
| Respiratory | Hydrogen cyanide | Inactivate the respiratory enzymes | |||
| Nerve | Malathion | Obstruct impulse conduction | |||
| Chitin Inhibition | Diflubenzuron | Obstruct the chitin synthesis in pests | |||
| Chemical Composition | Insecticide: | Organophosphates | Monocrotophos | Kill or repel insects and related species | |
| Carbamates | Carbaryl | ||||
| Pyrethroids | Permethrin | ||||
| Organochlorines | Endosulfan | ||||
| Neonicotinoids | Imidacloprid | ||||
| a) Fungicides: | Dodine | Used to prevent and cure to completely eliminate the fungi | |||
| Aliphatic nitrogen fungicides | Carpropamid | ||||
| Amide fungicides | |||||
| Aromatic fungicides | Chlorothalonil | ||||
| Dicarboximide fungicides | Famoxadone | ||||
| Dinitrophenol fungicides | Dinocap | ||||
| b) Herbicide: | Flufenacet | Used to kill weeds or obstruct the growth of undesirable herbs or weeds | |||
| Anilide herbicides | |||||
| Phenoxyacetic herbicides | 2, 4-D | ||||
| Quaternary ammonium herbicides | |||||
| Chlorotriazine herbicides | Paraquat | ||||
| Sulfonylurea herbicides | |||||
| Atrazine | |||||
| Chlorimuron | |||||
| c) Rodenticide: | Used to kill mice and other rodents | ||||
| Inorganic rodenticides | Zinc phosphide, Aluminium Phosphide | ||||
| Coumarin rodenticides | |||||
| (organic) Bromadiolone, Coumatetralyl | |||||
| Toxicity | Acute | Carbamates (Carbaryl, Thiram) | Indicate how poisonous a pesticide for human, animal or plant is after a single short-term exposure | ||
| Organochlorines (Aldrin, lindane) | |||||
| Organophosphates (Malathion, Parathion, Chlorpyrifos) | |||||
| Chronic | Organochlorines (DDT, Endosulfan) | Indicate how poisonous a pesticide for human, animal or plant is after a regular dose long-term exposure | |||
| Source of Origin | Biopesticide: | Azadirachtin (Neem bio-pesticide) | Acts on the target pests and those organisms which are strongly linked to the pests | ||
| a) Microbial | Bacterial toxins | Made up of microorganisms and the active component of these microbial pesticides are microorganisms | |||
| b) Plant incorporated protectants | GMO with foreign genes | They are produced by plants naturally and genetic material introduced together | |||
| c)Biochemical pesticides | Insect sex pheromones | They combine natural material that have non-toxic mechanism to controls pests | |||
| Chemical | a) Organochlorine | Toxic and not constantly biodegradable and also affects a large group of non-target organisms | |||
| b) Organophosphate | |||||
| c) Carbamates | |||||
| d) Pyrethroids |