Agrochemicals make it possible to solve different needs of agricultural producers.
Agrochemistry is the specialization of chemistry that consists of the use of organic substances within the framework of an industry and the application of chemical products (such as pesticides and fertilizers) in agricultural activities.
By extension, the chemical substance used by humans with the aim of optimizing the performance of an agricultural operation is known as an agrochemical. These products are usually used to fight pests that affect crops and to promote faster plant growth .
In the same way, we cannot ignore another important series of functions performed by the aforementioned agrochemical products. Specifically, these include providing the necessary amount of nutrients to the soil, killing microorganisms that are damaging the soil or directly the crops , and eliminating weeds that may exist.
pesticides
Pesticides , therefore, can be agrochemicals. In this case, the products are spread through fumigation with the intention of keeping those species that can damage them away from the crops. There are liquid, solid and gaseous pesticides.
According to the pest they fight, pesticides can be divided into fungicides (eliminate fungi), bactericides (bacteria), insecticides (insects) and other groups. It is important to keep in mind that these agrochemicals, even though they can help control pests, can also have harmful effects on the environment and human health .
Due to their toxicity, agrochemicals can cause damage to the health of people and animals.
Other types of agrochemicals
In addition to the aforementioned agrochemicals, we must not forget about others that are also widely used in the field of agriculture. We are referring to some like these:
-Herbicides, which are those whose main function is to carry out the elimination of all types of plants that are harmful to the land.
-Acaricides, which are responsible for repelling mites.
-Rodenticides, which are intended to kill rodents that cause damage to crops and which, in addition, have the peculiarity that they can transmit certain diseases to humans.
-Nematicides, which are used by farmers to kill the worms that appear in the soil and certain parasites that appear on the plants.
-Phytoregulators, which regulate the growth of crops and do so through what are called phytohormones. In this way, depending on the moment, they promote or slow down the development of the roots.
-Fertilizers, which, as their name indicates, are agrochemicals responsible for facilitating and speeding up the growth of certain plants.
The danger of toxicity
Most agrochemicals are toxic and, in some cases, can be lethal to humans when ingested, inhaled or touched.
The main danger lies in the fact that most of the agrochemical that is fumigated goes beyond the sector that is intended to be fumigated because, due to the wind and other factors, they end up reaching different places. In this way, agrochemicals can contaminate the water that people use, for example.