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IMPACT OF AGRICULTURAL PESTICIDES

IMPACT OF AGRICULTURAL PESTICIDES. PROF. I. A. SODANGI Dept. of Crop Science Kaduna State University. INTRODUCTION.

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IMPACT OF AGRICULTURAL PESTICIDES

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  1. IMPACT OF AGRICULTURAL PESTICIDES PROF. I. A. SODANGI Dept. of Crop Science Kaduna State University

  2. INTRODUCTION • Pest: Any organism which feeds on and damages cultivated plants, attacks plant products in the field or in storage, causes a nuisance or transmits pathogenic organisms to plants, man or domestic animals and livestock is regarded as a pest. • Pests include insects, fungi, viruses, nematodes, weeds, rodents, birds etc.

  3. Pesticide: A substance that is meant to control or manage pests. • Whether from synthetic or natural sources, pesticides are used by all farmers • Between 26 and 40 percent of the world’s potential crop production is lost annually because of pests and diseases (OECD-FAO, 2012). • Without crop protection, these losses could easily double.

  4. UN (2017) reported that: • Currently, about 821 million people around the world – one in nine of us – are going hungry. • Of this figure, Africa has 256.5 million people. • Percentage of children under 5 that are affected by stunted growth: 22.2% • Percentage of women of reproductive age affected by anaemia: 32.8% • To reduce hunger, we need to increase food productivity. • Pesticides help farmers do that.

  5. Understanding the Benefits of Pesticides • When properly used, pesticides provide benefits such as the following: • It is possible to combat pests and produce larger quantities of food. • Hardship of hand weeding removed. • Increase farm profits due to savings on labor costs.

  6. Table 1: Effects of variety and insecticide application on the grain yield of cowpea at Yola, 2013

  7. Table 2: Effect of weeding methods on grain yield of soybean at Lapai, Nigeria

  8. 4. Pesticides allow farmers to maximize the benefits of other valuable agricultural tools, such as high quality seeds, fertilizers and water resources. 5. Pesticides help keep food affordable. 6. Pesticides help reduce waterborne and insect transmitted diseases. 7. Pesticides help conserve the environment.

  9. 8. Pesticides are also critical for the control of invasive species and noxious weeds. 9. Using pesticides reduces the amount of time required to manually remove weeds and pests from fields 10. Pesticides used in stored products can prolong the viable life of the produce, prevent huge post-harvest losses from pests and diseases and protect the grain so it is safe to eat.

  10. EXPLORING THE BEST TECHNIQUES IN KEEPING CROPS HEALTHY • The overall health and vigour of a crop will influence its vulnerability to pest attack, and its ability to compensate for pest damage. • The following techniques are being explored to keep plants healthy. 1.Crop choice and timing • Choose varieties with inherited or built-in pest and/or disease resistance • Rotations may assist pest management

  11. Table 3: Interaction effect of host resistance to Sriga hermonthica and planting date on grain yield of maize at Trough, Nigeria in 2004

  12. 2. Soil preparation and successful crop establishment • Cultivation or herbicide use during a fallow to eliminate weeds will minimize pest survival opportunities • Appropriate rates of treated seeds may suppress soil insects as well as aphids in the first 3 weeks • crops suffering from stresses are often more susceptible to pests

  13. 3. Biological and cultural pest control • Integrate biological and cultural pest control strategies into the production system where practical. 4. Hygiene and sanitation • Some insect pests are moved by machinery, vehicles and people. • Practice good farm hygiene to minimize pest movement. 5. Weed management • Many insects use weeds as alternate hosts • Control weeds in crops but also consider adjacent fields, borders and roadsides where possible • Control volunteers from previous crops

  14. THE LONG-TERM IMPACT OF PESTICIDES ON CROPS, SOIL AND BUSINESS • Some pesticides are persistent soil contaminants • The use of pesticides decreases the general biodiversity in the soil • Reduction in N fixation • Pollinator decline • Time-saving • Money-saving

  15. CONCLUSION • The use of pesticides requires the weighing of all the risks against the benefits to ensure a maximum margin of safety. • The total cost-benefit picture from pesticide use differs appreciably between developed and developing countries. • For developing countries it is imperative to use pesticides, as no one would prefer famine and communicable diseases like malaria. • It can be concluded that it is expedient to accept a reasonable degree of risk.

  16. Thank you for listening

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