Why is the use of pesticides considered a dilemma for farmers?

There are two obvious reasons pesticide use would be seen as a dilemma for a farmer. One is obvious, that is cost. A part of cost is the labor, fuel, and actual chemical that must be purchased and applied. It then costs money, time, and labor to use these, and these resources could be applied to other activities where they might benefit the farmer more.

One more subtle problem with these is the way they interact with the biology of the field. On one hand, using any chemical control protocol on pests or weeds contributes to developing product resistant species of weeds or insects that will only be more difficult to control in the coming years. Another problem is that chemicals are indiscriminate as to their effects. The same toxin that kills armyworms kills beneficial insects like bees, wasps, and spiders, who have a niche in the field’s ecology. Other organisms in the soil can be harmed that play a role in keeping the soil healthy, and thus, the cure can be harmful to the cause.

Problems associated with pesticides

Although pesticides have their benefits, they are accompanied by a number of problems:

- Development of genetic resistance

- Creation of imbalances in the ecosystems

- Risk to human health 

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To learn more about it, you may read the book of Rachel Carson "Silent Spring"!