Introduction
We need to eat in order to survive. Our common foods may include dal and rice, spices and nuts, among many others. Where do dal and rice or spices and nuts, or other crops come from? Here, our hardworking farmers play an important role. They cultivate the crops, harvest them, and then supply them so that we can eat. However, it is not that simple to cultivate crops. A lot of harmful pests can attack the crops and destroy them.
What is an agro commodity? An example of an agro commodity can be dal and rice or spices and nuts. A quality agricultural product is hard to come by. So to prevent any damage to the crops and protect them, the farmers use agrochemicals.
But how do you know where to get high-quality agro commodities? PL Global Impex Pte Ltd is here to offer you a comprehensive solution. At PL Global Impex, we only deliver the highest quality products. We aim to impress you with the quality of our products and our timely delivery.
Together, let’s learn about agrochemicals, their toxicity, and other little-known facts about them. This is your ultimate guide to agrochemicals, covering everything from what they are to their benefits and toxicity.
What are Agrochemicals?
Agrochemicals help increase crop productivity. These agrochemicals can be insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, fertilizers, pesticides, and animal husbandry chemicals, among many others. Implementation of agrochemicals helps to manage plant nutrition, plant diseases, and crop yields. However, these agrochemicals have had a detrimental effect on biodiversity. This effect was because the application of pesticides had an effect not only on the growing population of pests but also brought about a decrease in the populations of non-pest insects. It hurts the microbes that live in the soil. These microbes are important for ecosystem functions like plant succession and soil formation.
The application of agrochemicals also causes damage to the soil structure. Soil structure disruption is actually a common phenomenon while using chemical fertilizers. The fertilizers infiltrate the subsoil, which reacts with the other components in the soil. As a result, it turns into a hard pan. These processes are a hurdle to the downward movement of the water and root growth. Another deleterious effect of fertilizer on the soil is soil friability. This happens because fertilizers stop soil crumbs from coming together. They are formed from humus, soil particles, along with organic matter. In turn, soil that is easy to break up makes it hard for water to drain and air to get to the roots of plants. Additionally, many chemicals that are used in agriculture affect the growth of mycelium and microbes.
Toxicity in Agro chemicals
Agrochemicals possess toxic properties, resistance to degradation, and the capacity to bioaccumulate and transport. They have the ability to travel through the air, water, and living things across international borders and across land far from where they should land. Their use increases crop yields in agricultural fields around the world. Some agrochemicals, like rodenticides, POPs, organophosphates, and carbamate compounds, can cause serious conservation problems for species at the top of food chains.
Agro chemicals Classification
Generally, agrochemicals refer to pesticides. These pesticides include herbicides, fungicides, molluscicides, nematicides, and rodenticides. They usually also include fertilizers and soil conditioners. The farmers apply this to keep the agro commodity safe.
Pesticides
A pesticide is a chemical or substance that is used to kill or control plants or organisms. We may know these organisms as pests. They are detrimental to plants and animals. Pesticides primarily function by poisoning pests.
Insecticides
Just as the name suggests, insecticides are chemicals that kill insects. Insecticides include ovicides that kill eggs and larvacide that kills larvae. For example, some pesticides are organochlorines, carbamates, organophosphates, and pyrethroids.
Herbicides
Herbicides can be used to destroy weeds and herbs. Gramoxone and glyphosate are two examples of herbicides.
Algaecides
Algaecides, as the name suggests, are for killing algae. Another name for this is algicides.
Fungicides
Fungicides are for controlling fungi and oomycetes. An example of a fungicide is Mankocide.
Rodenticides
Its primary function is to stop the spread of rats and mice. An example of a rodenticide is Klerat.
Molluscicides
Molluscicides control mollusks like snails and slugs. An example of a molluscicide is Slugit
Nematicides
Nematicides are for controlling or killing nematodes. An example of a nematicide is a Furadan
Fertilizers
Fertilizers are chemical compounds that promote plant growth. They are used to compensate for soil nutrient deficiencies. Usually, fertilizers are applied to the soil or plant tissues. Organic fertilizers are substances that already exist in nature and are made using natural procedures. Inorganic fertilizers (synthetic fertilizers) are artificially made using chemical processes by utilizing natural deposits.
Soil conditioners
The best way to keep all soils in good condition is to add things that keep them in good condition. These beneficial substances are known as soil conditioners. They include manure, compost, peat, livestock manure, and leaves. All of this is laid on top of the soil. It is then mixed. Soil conditioners improve soil aeration and water retention.
Liming and acidifying agents
At times, soils can become too acidic or alkaline for crop growth at times. In these cases, adjusting soil pH is by adding liming and acidifying products. When soil becomes too acidic, the addition of calcite in the form of powdered limestone is primarily. One can add sulfur compounds to neutralize more alkaline soil.
Why are Agrochemicals harmful?
Agrochemicals can be both visually effective and effective in destroying target pest populations. However, these are two distinct concepts that most people, including farmers, have difficulty grasping. Farmers are generally glad when they see little insect activity, as in the case of tiny insect pests. Hence, most of the farmers will overspray agrochemicals. The non-target organisms will absorb the majority of the pesticides. As a result, the target pest population has little chance of surviving for the time being. However, the pests’ natural rivals and predators encounter the same difficulties. Also, the pests that do manage to stay alive will eventually become immune to the chemicals. In the long run, this causes a more severe pest infestation during the target pest’s succeeding growth cycles. To stop infestations from getting out of hand, toxic pesticides must be used more often and in higher doses.
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Agrochemicals benefits
When bugs, pests, and other fungi destroy crops, farmers all over the world can lose a lot of money every year. Estimates show that weeds, pathogens that cause diseases, and insects each destroy about 13% of crops. Pests in the post-harvest period cause 10% crop damage. Agrochemicals can help reduce this loss by protecting crops, increasing productivity, and maintaining product quality. This also saves money on labor and fuel, which lowers the prices of agricultural commodities. Aside from agriculture, agrochemicals are for preventing negative societal impacts in a variety of ways. When trees and weeds grow under power lines, for example, they cause power outages. Specifically, herbicides are for controlling growth. Herbicides are also for removing a lot of unwanted plants. These can be along national highways, roadside, parks, wetlands, and other public places to keep people safe and make things easier for them.
To learn more about agro chemicals and other informative topics, you can read them on our website PL Global Impex Pte Ltd.
