Pesticides & Insecticides PDF

Effect of fertilizers and pesticides use on environment and health Agrochemicals (chemical fertilizers and pesticides) have made a phenomenal contribution worldwide towards the production and preservation of food, fiber and cash crops. In India, the increased use of fertilizers and pesticides...

Effect of fertilizers and pesticides use on environment and health Agrochemicals (chemical fertilizers and pesticides) have made a phenomenal contribution worldwide towards the production and preservation of food, fiber and cash crops. In India, the increased use of fertilizers and pesticides in agriculture started since 1970s as part of the Green Revolution to meet the nutrients demand of high yielding and fertilizer responsive varieties of rice and wheat. Just to keep up with food demand, we need record global crop production every year. “This is a basic problem, to feed 6.6 billion people. Without chemical fertilizer, forget it. The game is over.” Dr. Norman Borlaug Nobel Peace Prize Winner Fertilizer is a Strategic Commodity 4  Fertilizer use and food production in India 100 12 Area - Rice Ar e a ( M h a ) a n d P r o d u c t i o n ( M t ) Area - Wheat 80 F erti l i z e r N c o n s u m p t i o n ( M t ) Production-Rice 9 Production- Wheat of rice/w heat 60 Nconsumption 6 40 3 20 0 0 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 Year  Trends in fertiliser consumption (N, P and K) in India It is only with the use of mineral fertilizers that the continuously growing Indian population canFertiliser Source: be fed. Association6of India ) Per hectare fertiliser use by states in India (kg/ha) Source : Fertilizer Association of India 7(2010) Trends in fertiliser consumption (N, P and K) in Punjab Nitrogen Phosphorus Phosphorus PotaPsostiaumsh Source: Fertiliser Association of In8dia )  Pesticide Use in Agriculture Modern agriculture practices have also relied on pesticide use. With the introduction of DDT in the early 40s, non- chemical methods of pest control dwindled. Today, over 100,000 chemicals including insecticides, fungicides, herbicides, acaricides and rodenticides are in use throughout the world for pest control. Pesticide consumption (kg/ha) in different countries 12 IIVR Extension Bulletin Pesticide consumption by different crops in India Among all the crops grown in India, pesticide consumption in cotton is highest (45 %) followed by paddy (22 %), vegetables (9 %), Plantation crops (7 %), wheat (4 %), pulses (4 %) and others (9 %). Among the vegetable crops in India, cabbage is the maximum pesticide consuming crop. The other side: Environment and health  Effects on SOIL Fertilizers if applied in excess can cause great harm to soil. These can lead to :-  Effect on soil fertility through nutrient imbalance  Soil pH  Soil salinity  Effects on WATER Excessive use of chemical fertilizers can pollute groundwater and water bodies mainly as follows:  Leaching  Eutrophication  It is very common in developing nations that fertilizer use is concentrated in certain regions or districts. For example in Punjab, on an average 188 kg N/ha/year was used in 2012-13. While Jalandhar and Patiala used 228 kg N/ha/year, consumption in Hoshiarpur district was only 131 kg N/ha/year Thus in some regions where fertilizer use equals to or exceeds even that in developed nations, there exists the possibility of nitrate leaching of ground waters. LEACHING Washing of water-soluble compounds present in fertilizers in excess amount out of root zone of soil. Movement of portion of colloids into lower layers or subsoil rock.  Leaching of nitrate-N Concentration of nitrate-N in the soil profile Quantity of water passing through the profile  Other losses Gaseous loss as nitrous oxides after denitrification. Volatilisation as ammonia. 19  Fate of applied P Efficiency of applied P fertilizer is 20 -30 % Remaining - effectively converted to water insoluble form. Leaching - negligible. Soil erosion – important. P adsorbed on soil particles may be carried into surface waters.  Eutrophication It is the process of over-fertilization of a water body by nutrients that produce more organic matter than the self-purification process. Eutrophication can be natural process or it can be accelerated by an increase-of nutrient loading to a water body by human activity.  Presence of toxix elements in common fertilizers SOURCE As Cd Zn Cu Pb Ni Urea