Why do we spray chemicals on the crops?

Why do we spray chemicals on the crops?

Farmers spray to mitigate crop damage caused by pests. A pest is any biological organism, including weeds, pathogens, and arthropods, that interferes with the production of crops affecting quality and/or yield. Pesticides work in many different ways by affecting their target, whether it be a weed, pest, or disease.

Why are chemicals important in agriculture?

Pesticides – also known as agricultural chemicals – are substances that are used to protect plants against pests. They include herbicides to kill weeds, fungicides to get rid of diseases and insecticides to kill bugs.

What kind of chemicals are used in agriculture?

Industrial agriculture relies on two types of chemicals: fertilizers and pesticides. The former boost soil fertility, making crops more productive, while the latter protect crops by controlling weeds (herbicides), insect and animal infestation (insecticides and rodenticides) and fungal/mold diseases (fungicides).

What chemicals do farmers use?

Many farmers choose to use chemicals to keep weeds and pests from destroying their crops and to add more nutrients to the soil. There are three different kinds of pesticides; herbicides, insecticides and fungicides. All three of these pesticides are used to kill different kinds of pests that can be found on a farm.

What are the problems caused by chemical agriculture?

Farmers in developing countries are experiencing, either short-term or long-term, health effects from exposures to agricultural chemicals, including severe symptoms (e.g. headaches, skin rashes, eye irritations) and some chronic effects (e.g. cancer, endocrine disruption, birth defects).

Why we should avoid chemicals to kill insects?

Pesticides are stored in your colon, where they slowly but surely poison the body. After countless studies, pesticides have been linked to cancer, Alzheimer’s Disease, ADHD, and even birth defects. Pesticides also have the potential to harm the nervous system, the reproductive system, and the endocrine system.

How can chemical pesticides enter the human body?

Pesticides can enter the human body by three common ways: through the skin (contact), the mouth (ingestion), and the lungs (inhalation) (Figure 2). The state of the chemical, i.e., solid, liquid, or gas, affects the chances of pesticide penetration into the body [25].

Farmers can not afford to lose their crops due to pesky little insects, so instead, some farmers spray chemicals, pesticides, on them which repel the insects. Pesticides can also prevent disease from spreading, so using pesticides lowers the risks of losing one’s crop of the season.

What chemicals are used by farmers?

What kind of chemicals do farmers use on their crops?

Many farmers choose to use chemicals to keep weeds and pests from destroying their crops and to add more nutrients to the soil. There are three different kinds of pesticides; herbicides, insecticides and fungicides.

Why do we use pesticides on our crops?

To people outside agriculture, pesticides tends to be the catch-all category for any and all chemical compound we spray on our crops. And honestly, that is far from the truth. We don’t have a jug labeled “pesticides” that goes on anything and everything. In agriculture we call any sort of chemical we use on the farm “crop-protection products.”

What are the pros and cons of pesticides in farming?

Today we are going to discuss the use of pesticides from the perspective of the farmer and the consumer, as well as talk about how we can come up with an alternative to still help maintain crop health, but avoid the negative repercussions of using pesticides in farms.

How are chemicals used in the production of food?

Even food in its most basic form is full of chemicals, like this banana. Chemicals are not inherently bad. Chemicals can be used to do a lot of good in a lot of different places. In agriculture we’ve used chemicals to help produce food more efficiently (as detailed in Part 1-2).

Why is the use of chemicals in agriculture declining?

Reasons for the initial rise include no-till agriculture, herbicide resistant crops, and crops like corn and soybeans being planted over more acres. Reasons for the decline include more effective pesticides, better application technology, genetic engineering (GMOs) and new production methods like cover crops.

To people outside agriculture, pesticides tends to be the catch-all category for any and all chemical compound we spray on our crops. And honestly, that is far from the truth. We don’t have a jug labeled “pesticides” that goes on anything and everything. In agriculture we call any sort of chemical we use on the farm “crop-protection products.”

Why are farmers applying chemicals to their fields?

Disease is a major contributor of crop loss globally, with fungi being the number one cause of crop loss. Since fungi growth is dependent on moisture and temperature, this can be difficult to control in a farm field without applying some type of chemical, whether that be organic or synthetic.

Why is it important to use chemical fertilizers?

Fertilizers provide plants with the nutrients they need to grow and do so immediately — there’s no need to wait to see improvements. The proper use of chemical fertilizers represents one of the most cost-effective ways to boost plant production.

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