CURRENT PESTICIDE HAZARDS IN AGRICULTURE AND HUMAN HEALTH; APPROACHES OF ORGANIC AGRICULTURE
1. CURRENT PESTICIDE HAZARDS IN AGRICULTURE
AND HUMAN HEALTH; APPROACHES OF
ORGANIC AGRICULTURE
PRESENTED BY- SUMAN TALUKDAR
M.SC. 4TH SEMESTER
ROLL NO 08
GAUHATI UNIVERSITY
2. WHAT IT IS ? WHY IT IS USED ?
Substances that inhibit the growth of undesired pests.
Pesticides are of various types depending on chemical constituents and mode of action.
3. Why it is used ?
Globally
10,000 species of insect
30,000 species of weeds
100,000 diseases (caused by fungi virus bacteria/other microorganism)
1000 species of nematods
HOWEVER only 10% of this is considered as major pest
Pest feeding on crops
4. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that in developing countries, pests, weeds
and disease destroy about 40% of crops in the fields and 6-7% after the harvest.
Herbivorous insects are responsible for destroying one fifth of worlds total crop production.
According to ICAR, about 30-35% of the annual crop yield in India gets wasted because of pests.
}PEST
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/pests-eat-away-35-of-total-crop-yield-says-icar-scientist/article17368426.ece
5. In 2016, Spodoptera mauritia, also known as paddy-swarming
caterpillar or army caterpillar, have destroyed paddy in 22 districts of
Assam.
More than 30,000 hectares of cropland was affected.
The last such rice swarming caterpillar raid on paddy was reported in
Assam in 1967.
https://www.telegraphindia.com/states/north-east/farmers-grapple-with-caterpillar-horror/cid/1419488
http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/mdetails.asp?id=sep1316/at055
6. Total pesticides consumed, in metric tones, during 2005-06 to 2009-10 as per official data of
the Directorate of Plant Protection, Quarantine and Storage, Govt of India
Pesticide consumption in India (in tons)
NE regions apply low level pf pesticide compared to other states.
Lowest in Meghalaya.
7. TYPES OF PESTICIDE
ORGANOCHLORIDE- DDT, aldrin, dieldrin, endrin, heptachlor, chlordane and endosulfan, monocrotophos etc
ORGANOPHOSPHATE- : Parathion, Malathion, methyl parathion, Chlorpyrifos, diazinon
CARBAMATE- Aldicarb, carbofuran, carbaryl, oxamyl.
• Chlorine containing organic compounds
• Persistent organic chemicals
• Works on peripheral (axon) and central nervous system.
• Esters of phosphoric acid.
• Acetylcholine esterase inhibitor.
• organic compound derived from carbamic acid (NH2COOH).
• Reversibly inhibit acetylcholine esterase.
8. Pesticide Toxicity
Acute toxicity
Effects from a single exposure or repeated exposure
over a short time (accident during mixing or applying
pesticides).
Pesticide with a high acute toxicity can be deadly in
small amount.
Acute oral toxicity, acute dermal toxicity or acute
inhalation toxicity.
o respiratory tract irritation,
o allergic sensitization
o eye and skin irritation
o nausea, vomiting, diarrhea
o headache, loss of consciousness
o extreme weakness, seizures and/or death
o Carcinogenicity
o Mutagenicity
o Teratogenicity
o Oncogenicity
o Liver damage
o Reproductive disorders
o Nerve damage
Chronic toxicity
Effects of long-term or repeated lower level
exposures to a toxic substance.
Effects of chronic exposure do not appear
immediately after first exposure and may take years to
produce signs and symptoms.
Symptoms
Result of chronic toxicity
10. POSSIBLE WAYS OF PESTICIDE EXPOSURE
Improper handling. Extensive use
Poor and improper storage of pesticides.
11. Hazard in agriculture
AIR, WATER & SOIL pollution by pesticide (persistent nature of pesticide)
.
Earthworm- harmful effect on growth and reproduction.
Bee-Prime pollinator
colony collapse disorder. Honey bees are responsible for $30
billion a year in crops
14. Alternative … Organic Agriculture
•Organic agriculture uses pesticides and fertilizers of organic origin.
•Easily or rapidly degraded not persistent.
•In India 3.56 million Hectare (2017-18) of organic farmland.
•India produced around 1.70 million MT (2017-18) of certified organic products.
•Total volume of export during 2017-18 was 4.58 lakh MT. {3453.48 crore (515.44 million USD)}.
•In 2016 Sikkim was declared as organic state of India.
15. TECHNQUES IN ORGANIC AGRICULTURE
Manure- • animal feces, which can be used as organic fertilizer in agriculture.
• contribute to the fertility of the soil by adding organic matter and
nutrients (nitrogen)
• utilized by bacteria, fungi and other organisms in the soil.
Green manure-
• created by leaving uprooted or sown crop parts
• Leguminous green manures
16. Crop rotation--
• Growing a series of dissimilar or different types of crops in the same
area in sequenced seasons.
• Soil is not used for only one nutrient.
• Reducing soil erosion and increases soil fertility and crop yield.
Companion planting
17. Biological pest control
- • Method of controlling pests using other organisms.
• It relies on predation, parasitism, herbivory, or other natural mechanisms
• also involves an active human management role, important component of integrated pest
management (IPM) programs.
Syrphus hoverfly larva (below) feed on aphids (above), making
them natural biological control agents.
18. However use of some organic compounds may make organic agriculture unsafe.
E.g.- pyrethrin (derived from Chrysanthemum cinerariifolium) and rotenone (derived from Fabaceae)
• rapid degradation in the
environment.
• Chronic toxicity through
respiration, allergic
reaction.
• classified as moderately hazardous
by WHO
• Mildly toxic to humans and other
mammals
• Development of Parkinson's disease
in mouse
19. Reference
Devi P. Indira et. al. ; Pesticide Consumption in India: A Spatiotemporal Analysis; Agricultural Economics Research Review Vol. 30 (No.1)
January-June 2017 pp 163-172
Dey et. al. Impact of pesticide use on the health of farmers: A study in Barak valley, Assam (India) Journal of Environmental Chemistry and
Ecotoxicology;Vol. 5(10), pp. 269-277, November, 2013
GOEL et. al. Pesticide poisoning; THE NATIONAL MEDICAL JOURNAL OF INDIA VOL. 20, NO. 4, 2007
OERKE E.-C. Crop losses to pests; Journal of Agricultural Science (2006), 144, 31–43.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/pesticide-poisoning
http://npic.orst.edu/envir/plantint.html
https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/opinion/a-deadly-cocktail/article22996219.ece
http://www.pastatebeekeepers.org/other/pesticides.htm
http://pmep.cce.cornell.edu/profiles/extoxnet/metiram-propoxur/monocrotophos-ext.html
https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/science-sushi/httpblogsscientificamericancomscience-sushi20110718mythbusting-101-organic-
farming-conventional-agriculture/
