A thorough study of the pesticide problem 
by the President's Science Advisory Com- 
mittee, which culminated in the reporton ''The 
Use of Pesticides,'' placed the major issues in 
their proper perspective. In essence this report 
stated that we need to control pests to provide 
for man's needs and to protect him from vector- 
borne diseases, but it also pointed out that there 
are known hazards and potentially grave risks 
associated with the extensive use of certain 
pesticides of the type now available and in the 
manner in which they are currently employed. 
In developing this symposium, the planning 
committee decided that nothing could be gained 
by discussing the controversial aspects of 
pesticide use. Millions of words covering 
various aspects of the controversy are now in 
print, often written by extremists. Dozens of 
scientific symposia have been held by many 
organizations to discuss the pros and cons of 
the use of pesticides, All this has been of value 
in pointing out the problems. It has long been 
the writer's view that merely discussing issues 
will not solve the problems we face. 
Much of the public may accept risks in the 
use of pesticides in view of their benefits. How- 
ever, the public would rather achieve effective 
pest control without risks to the environment. 
People often cannot agree on relative values-- 
it all depends on circumstances as they are 
affected or on their personal sense of values. 
The public demands clean, high-quality, un- 
blemished foods at reasonable prices. People 
desire virtual freedom from annoyance or 
threats to their health that pests can cause. At 
the same time they would like to have all these 
things without risks to themselves or to their 
environment. When there is no alternative, men 
of responsibility must weigh the risks of the 
pest versus the risk of the pest-control meas- 
ures that can be employed. In the meantime, 
however, if there is a reasonable chance 
through research to develop ways of controlling 
our more important pests with little or no 
hazard to man or his environment, there is 
every justification for an all-out effort to 
achieve this objective. 
Accordingly, this symposium was designed 
to consider the opportunities for controlling 
pests of all kinds without creating undue risks 
to man and his environment. The symposium 
is a broad one--pest control by all the various 
means we now know--chemical, biological, 
genetic, and physical. It encompasses all the 
major kinds of invertebrate and vertebrate 
pests of agricultural importance--insects, 
plant diseases, weeds, and nematodes, as well 
as birds and mammals in situations where they 
become pests. 
Many approaches to pest control have been 
investigated in the past. Only those methods 
that have led to practical achievements, how- 
ever, are well known. For too many years, 
research on agricultural pests has emphasized 
short-term applied research. Due to the thou- 
sands of pest problems, many of day-to-day 
urgency, most available research resources 
were devoted to developing quick solutions to 
problems of an emergency nature. Moreover, 
research on chemical pesticides for many 
years was recognized as offering the best 
chance of finding a satisfactory solution to 
most pest problems, Research in this area, 
especially during the past two decades, was 
backed by the competence and great resources 
of our chemical industries, Thus, research 
efforts on chemical pesticides, both public and 
private, were far greater than on other poten- 
tially useful methods. 
Scientists have continued to make significant 
progress, however, on other approaches to the 
problems of pest control in relation to the 
effort devoted to the research, Plant geneticists 
working with plant pathologists, entomologists, 
and nematologists have made outstanding prog- 
ress in solving several pest problems. Scien- 
tists who have continued to work on natural 
biological control agents have shown new op- 
portunities for more effective use of insect 
diseases, insect parasites, and predators. Im- 
portant new leads have been obtained on ways 
to affect the behavior of pests as the result of 
research on natural materials in the pests 
themselves or in the hosts on which they live. 
Outstanding advances in methodology in the 
chemical field have greatly improved oppor- 
tunities for identifying these substances. Along 
this same line, progress has been made by the 
relatively few scientists who have been ex- 
ploring various physical factors that affect the 
behavior of vertebrate and invertebrate pests. 
During the past two decades, the possibility 
of employing pests themselves for self- 
destruction by utilizing the sterility principle 
has begun to emerge. Ways to employ pest- 
control measures that have amaximum impact 
