06/02/2022
PESTICIDE IN AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES
In agricultural practices pesticide application is an inevitable factor for maintaining high crops productivity and is currently an integral part of modern farming. Pest (insects, microbes and weeds) cause approximately 20-30% loss in crop production so making pesticide use indispensable for crop production.
What is pesticides? Pesticides are any agent or chemical or a mixture of chemicals/substances intended to prevent, destroy, repel or irritate one or more pest populations causing economic loss in crop production.
These pesticides according to the target organism may be classified as insecticides, bactericides, algicides, nematicides, acaricide, rodenticides and herbicides meant to suppress or control insects, fungi, bacteria, algae, nematodes, mites, rodents and weeds, respectively.
Most pesticides frequently possess a benzene ring and also have heavy/ Trace metals like As, Be, Cd, Cl, Cu, F, Pb, Hg, No, Mn, Sn, Zn etc. Nearly all modern pesticides are organic neutral (uncharged) molecules.
These chemicals are frequently applied to soil or plants in solid, liquid or gaseous from as emulsions, water soluble concentrate, pellet, wettable powder, water soluble powder, oil emulsion, suspension, dust, fumigant or injection.
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