Few Direct Effects of Pesticides
Diseases are a primary source of crop and plant damage, caused by several disease-causing organisms. The term pesticide covers a wide range of compounds including insecticides, fungicides, herbicides, nematicides, plant growth regulators and others, used in plant protection. The food and agriculture sector is always expected to produce large and apt quantities of crops. Thus, the use of pesticides prevents the plants from several diseases and results in several benefits for the crops. Some of the benefits of using the pesticides are:
- Improved Productivity
- Protection of crop losses
- Increased crop yield
- Vector disease control
- Quality of food
- Is used in other areas as well to curb the damage caused by termites and woodboring insects
Pesticides are often considered as a quick, easy, and inexpensive solution for controlling weeds and insect pests in urban landscapes. However, pesticide use comes at a high cost. There are several hazards caused by the use of pesticides, such as:
Direct impact on humans: When we look at the positive impacts of these pesticides in yielding more productivity of crops, one cannot deny the health hazards imposed by them on humans. The high-risk groups exposed to pesticides include production workers, formulators, sprayers, mixers, loaders and agricultural farmworkers. During manufacture and formulation, the possibility of hazards may be higher because the processes involved are not risk-free. In industrial settings, workers are at increased risk since they handle various toxic chemicals, including pesticides, raw materials, poisonous solvents and inert carriers.
Impact through food commodities: Due to excess pesticide residuals, the food crops are contaminated, affecting many.
Impact on environment: As pesticides contaminate the soil, water, turf and other vegetation, they invariably kill other organisms such as birds, fish, beneficial insects and non-targeted plants.
Surface water contamination: Pesticides can reach surface water through runoff from treated plants and soil. Contamination of water by pesticides is widespread.
Groundwater contamination: This is a global problem. Once groundwater is polluted with toxic chemicals, it may take many years for the contamination to dissipate or be cleaned up. Clean up may also be very costly and complex.
Soil contamination: In this, soil pH plays an important role. Adsorption increases with decreasing soil pH for ionizable pesticides.
Effect on soil fertility: Heavy treatment of soil with pesticides can cause populations of beneficial soil microorganisms to decline.
The total cost-benefit picture from pesticide use, differs appreciably between developed and developing countries. For every country, it is imperative to use pesticides, as no one would prefer famine and infectious diseases like malaria. It may thus be expedient to accept a reasonable degree of risk.
Insecticides are the chemicals used for killing the crop-damaging insects. They can be classified based on their chemistry, their toxicological action, or their mode of penetration. Dhanuka Agrotech Pvt Ltd is one of the leading names in the agrochemical industry, providing the best solutions for all crop-related problems. Their products are developed through an innovative and safe formulation which includes safe and environment-friendly approach. They conserve basic agricultural assets such as land, water, and biodiversity and works towards making agriculture sustainable. Dhanuka’s wide range of insecticides are effective, safe and environment-friendly.
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