pesticides and chemical fertilizer are being frequently used in modern agriculture. why do we these and how do they different in the function
Answers
So called green revolution has worked to design the system of crop production around the use of synthetic chemicals which dominates the vast majority of our tillable lands globally. The staple grains have been bred to be dwarves so that high fertilizer N can be used without lodging the crop. The heavy N makes the crop more susceptible to diseases such as bacterial leaf diseases and sucking insects. The answer then becomes more chemical in the form of insecticides and assorted pesticides both herbicides and fungicides mainly. The dynamic of this systematic approach is to maximize the issues related to chemical inputs. These chemicals were designed based on their toxicity. Nitrogen fertilizer was first the source of explosive. The chemical warfare agents becoming the source of agriculture insecticides. This occurred by no accident but by a master malevolent plan to control the global food system. Small wonder that dead marine zones are found at the mouths of rivers which travel through the agricultural zones. In North America the incidence of birth defects from the nitrates and estrogenic pesticide coincide with the maize culture. The nitrates are well associated with spinal chord defects and the estrogenic materials with increases in reduction of male expression with males suffering from undescended testicles. The glysphosate herbicide now recognized as probable carcinogen and its use is well correlated with Parkinson disease epidemic, attention disorders in children and a range of digestive issues. The prevailing economic structure gives a false choice to use the chemical system or die of starvation. As we truly understand the vast issues related with chemical dependency of the world agricultural systems we will forced to make a prudent choice of going cold turkey. Luckily the Rodale Institute Farming System Trial has clearly demonstrated that biologically based soil first philosophy can be completely competitive with the chemical reliance and because improved soils both mitigate the effects of drought and counteract greenhouse gases there really is no argument that accelerating the transition for chemical to biological agriculture is a need whose time has come. Interestingly small farmers in the tropics when they no longer can afford high input agriculture generally use paraquat herbicide to end their misery. The take home point is not only can we do much better but indeed the time has come that we must.
Pesticides
We know that plant is the main source of food for us. But there are other beings too who depend on plants for their food. So those beings, like ants and insects, attack the crops in hope for a yummy supper. If this happens, the crops are destroyed.
There are unwanted plants too, called weeds, that come from nowhere and grow with along with the crops, sharing the same nutrients and sunlight thus creating a harsh competition.
Pesticides are man-made substances, prepared in labs for use in agriculture. They are used to:
- control and kill the pests that destroy the crops. For example, insects and unwanted microbes.
- remove the weeds that grow alongside crops, stealing their raw materials. Such chemicals are also called weedicides.
Fertilizers
A plant, just like humans, needs nutrients to grow up healthily. The soil is filled with such nutrients for the plant. But when the plant continuously takes them, the amount of nutrients gradually depletes.
Fertilizers are inorganic substances prepared in factories. Below are its uses:
- It replenishes and enriches the soil with the required nutrients.
- It has rich amounts of nutrients that help the plant grow better.
Difference between Pesticides and Fertilizers:
The jobs of pesticides and fertilizers are different:
✳ Plants need protection from pests which pose a threat to their living. The pesticide eliminates all such beings, like slugs, ants, and weeds that are harmful to the crop.
✳ Plants need nutrients in order to grow up to be a healthy plant. The fertilizer supplies those nutrients to the plants for their good growth.
Pesticides save the plant from pests while fertilizers feed the plant with rich nutrients.