What Is Pesticide?

What Is Pesticide?

Pesticide is a chemical that used for the destruction of an organism that harmful for human being.

Pesticides are substances or mixtures used to prevent, destroy, repel, or control pests.

Pests can include insects, weeds, rodents, fungi, bacteria, and other organisms that can harm crops, animals, or human health.

Pesticides are widely used in agriculture to protect plants from damage, increasing crop yield and food production.

The word pesticide has a very wide meaning and include following terms which individually indicate the organisms that chemical is designed to kill.

 

 

Type Of Pesticide :

01. Insecticide :

Insecticides are applied in pest control of insects to potential dangers in crops, animals, and human health.

How these chemicals work is through the killing of the central nervous system of the insect or preventing it from reproducing.

These insecticides come in different forms, which include sprays, powders, and granules.

 

Types of insecticides :

Organochlorines-for example, DDT, chlordane-these have been discovered to persist for a long time in the environment although these substances are prohibited in many countries due to their toxicity.

Organophosphates (e.g., malathion, parathion)  

Affect the nervous system of insects and are widely used, though they pose health risks to humans if not properly managed.

Pyrethroids

 That is, per- and other-methyl derivatives of pyrethrin, for example permethrin – synthetic chemicals modeled on natural pyrethroids produced in chrysanthemums; they are safer to humans and the environment.

 

02. Fungicide :

Fungicides are applied in controlling fungal diseases in plants such as mildew, rusts, and molds.

These types of diseases bring the crop yield and quality to the ground level.

Fungicides can either be systemic, absorbed by the plant, or contact, applied directly on the plant surface. Examples of the former include:
Copper-based fungicides, for example copper sulfate. These make use of copper sulphate as their active ingredient and are used in organic farming to control diseases from fungi.
These are fungicides that often contain sulfur and are used to treat disease, particularly powdery mildew and various fungal infections.

 

03. Herbicide :

Herbicides Herbicides are chemicals which eliminate or control unwanted plants, commonly termed weeds.

Weeds compete with crops for nutrients, water, and sunlight and therefore decrease crop yields.

There are two types of herbicides :

A. selective 

B. nonselective

Selective herbicides : selectively target a given type of weeds.

Nonselective herbicides : kill any plants in their area.

 

The most common herbicides are the following :

Glyphosate (e.g. Roundup) – a broad-spectrum, non-selective herbicide commonly applied in agriculture and landscaping.
2,4-D: A selective herbicide which controls the growth of broadleaf weeds in lawns, pastures and cereal crops.

 

04. Rodenticide :

A rodenticide is a specialized pesticide developed to target rodents, especially rats and mice and other rodents through its eradication.

It is applied in agricultural and home management in public health in the control of rodents because it causes damage to crops, property, and diseases.

Rodenticides appear in the forms of baits, pellets, powders, and liquids.

Rodenticides are known to damage crops, spread disease, and contaminate food supplies.

Rodenticides are typically anticoagulants that cause internal bleeding in rodents after ingestion. 

 The most commonly used anticoagulant rodenticide.
Brodifacoum – a much stronger rodenticum, used in very heavy infestation areas.

 

05. Bactericide :

Bactericides control harmful bacteria causing diseases in plants. They are less often applied than insecticides and herbicides. However, controlling bacterial infections on crops is very important.

Such examples are:

Streptomycin – an antibiotic, controlling the bacterial blight infection on fruit trees and other plants.

 

06. Miticide :

A miticide is a pesticide intended specifically to kill mites, such arthropods, considered one of the worse pests that cause much destruction to crop and plant farms and animals.

Mites are very harmful in agriculture, horticulture, and even in domestic settings, infesting crops and ornamental plants or livestock.

Miticides are also employed for the control of pests, with the destructions ensuring the different organisms and plants remain healthy and productive.

 

07. Nematicide :

Nematicides are applied to control nematicides – microscopic worms that damage plant roots and do not allow crops to grow fully. Most of the root crops; potatoes and carrots are subjected to the pesticides.

 

08. Molluscicide :

A molluscicide is considered a type of chemical pesticide that has especially been formulated to kill or control mollusks, especially snails and slugs.

These pests can cause massive damage to large crops and gardens and act as vectors for some diseases.

Molluscicides are used in agricultural and horticultural production systems for the control of snails and slugs.

 

 

09. Avicide :

An avicide is specifically a pesticide used to kill or deter birds when they are considered pests.

Such pesticide is applied in agricultural, urban, and industrial environments to avoid destruction of crops, structures, and other resources due to the presence of birds.

Nevertheless, avicides are one of the most debated chemicals because of their potential damage to non-target species, such as protected birds and other wildlife.

 

10. Virucide :

A virucide is a chemical that inactivates or even kills viruses so that the virus will have no chance of replication or infection.

These chemicals are commonly used in healthcare, sanitation, and laboratories where viral infections may be transmitted.

While antiviral drugs kill viruses inside human bodies, virucides counteract the effect of viruses by killing them on surfaces or within environments.

 

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Pesticide Used :

Pesticides are used to control pests that harm crops, animals, and humans.

They help protect plants from insects, weeds, fungi, and other harmful organisms.

public health, they control disease-carrying insects like mosquitoes.

Proper use of pesticides is essential to reduce environmental impact and safeguard human health.

 

World Wide Amount Uses Data :

As per FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of United Nations) data pesticide used and trade  1990 to 2022.

In 2022, total pesticides use in agriculture was 3.70 million tonnes (Mt) of active ingredients, marking a 4 percent increase with respect to 2021, a 13 percent increase in a decade, and a doubling since 1990.

Between 1990 and 2022, pesticides intensities increased at different rates: use per cropland area increased by 94 percent, use per value of agricultural production by 5 percent, and use per person by 35 percent.

In 2022, the volume of total pesticides exports decreased by 1 percent compared with 2021 to approximately 6.9 Mt of formulated products, but their value increased by 13 percent to USD 48.8 billion.

In 2022, Asia exported the most pesticides with quantities and values of 3.5 Mt and USD 21.7 billion (2.3 Mt and USD 15.3 billion when considering only exports to other regions).

In the Americas, pesticides use in agriculture increased by 10 percent from 1.71 Mt in 2021 to 1.89 Mt in 2022.

Most of Africa’s pesticides imports come from countries outside the region, and the majority of exported pesticides remain in the region.

Since 1990, pesticides use in Europe fell by 5 percent, with a reduction in the most recent decade by 7 percent.

 

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Advantage :

• Pesticides improve crop yields because they help keep away pests and diseases.

• They enhance food quality by reducing damages on fruits, vegetables, and grains.

• Pesticides control the invasive species and conserve the ecosystems of the locality.

• They also control pests, for instance mosquitoes that prevent the spreading of diseases.

• Pesticides make farming more efficient, thus lowering the cost of food for consumers.

 

Disadvantage :

•  Pesticides kill not only the pests but also help insects, birds, and fish-aquatic life, and so affect ecosystems.

•  They pose a threat to human health as they are harmful when inhaled since they cause respiratory problems and diseases for several years.

•  It leads to overuse that causes resistance of pests which is hard to control later on.

•  Pesticides can contaminate soil and water, thus affecting environmental and human health.

•  Certain pesticides in animals and humans result in bioaccumulation, food safety, and health risk.

 

Conclusion :

Pesticides are crucial in agriculture in controlling pests, which include insects, weeds, fungi, bacteria, and rodents that damage crops. Targeted pesticides exist, including insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides, to control the exact pest. Pesticides have been helpful in the production of food but its improper or excessive use hurts soil, water, other non-target species, and human health. Careful application is important to achieve both food security and safety to humans and the environment.