rotenone
Noun: A naturally occurring chemical compound used as an insecticide and piscicide (fish poison). It is extracted from the roots of certain tropical plants, such as derris and cube (lonchocarpus). It is known for being relatively toxic to insects and fish but having low toxicity for mammals.
Rotenone is used primarily in agriculture and gardening to control insect pests. It is also used in fisheries management to remove unwanted fish species from bodies of water. Its use is often regulated due to its environmental impact on aquatic life.
- Noun:
- Organic gardeners sometimes use rotenone to control beetles on their plants.
- The lake was treated with rotenone to eliminate the invasive fish population before restocking.
- As a piscicide: In scientific and environmental management contexts, rotenone is specifically referred to for its use in eradicating fish.
- The study documented the effects of rotenone application on the invertebrate community.
- Derris: (noun) A genus of tropical shrubs, the roots of which are a primary source of rotenone.
- Cube root: (noun) Another plant source for rotenone, from the genus .
- Insecticide: A general term for a substance used to kill insects.
- Piscicide: A substance toxic to fish.
The term refers specifically to the isolated chemical compound. It is not used as a verb or in other grammatical forms. Its defining characteristics are its natural botanical origin and its specific toxicity profile (high for insects/fish, low for mammals).
- a white crystalline insecticide that has low toxicity for mammals; is used in home gardens; extracted from the roots of derris and cube