On the morning of September 3rd, Academician Song Bao’an, President of Guizhou University, gave a lecture to the master’s and doctoral students on the topic of “Pesticides: Devil or Angel”.

Academician Song Bao’an began his lecture by introducing food safety cases that have attracted social attention. He pointed out that the appearance offood safety issues is not due to the pesticides themselves, but because they were incorrectly used, especially the prohibited highly toxic ones. Pesticide production and usage directly impact food safety, ecological environment safety, and food product safety. Only by correctly understanding pesticides and using them scientifically and reasonably can we return to the essence of pesticides and create a positive environment for technological innovation of them. China has entered the “Green Pesticide Era” characterized by high biological activity, low toxicity, low residues, and good environmental compatibility. The creation of pesticides requires considering many factors, making it a long-term, high-investment, and high-risk systemic project.

According to Song, currently, China’s per capita share of grain surpasses the internationally recognized security line, and this significant achievement definitely indicates that modern agriculture cannot do without the assistance of green pesticides. Song mentioned the revised Pesticide Management Regulations in 2017, emphasizing the importance of pesticide safety and its assess. He pointed out that we need to have a correct understanding, strict management, standardized use, and scientific development of pesticides.

At the end of the lecture, Song expressed his sincere expectations for the master’s and doctoral students present, hoping that they will love and devote to the major that they have chosen and can be creative to develop trustworthy green agriculture and green pesticides beneficial for food safety.

It’s worth noting that the book Pesticides: Angel or Devil co-edited by Academician Song Bao’an and Professor Yang Guangfu from Central China Normal University, vividly introduces relevant knowledge of pesticides in a Q&A format, dispelling people’s misunderstandings of pesticides and improving the scientific understanding of pesticides among the general public.

Editor: Pang Aizhong

Chief Editor: Li Xufeng

Senior Editor: Yang Nan

Translator: Tan Jing