Are Pesticides Always Toxic?

Pesticides have been designed to be toxic to living things. Unwanted flora and fauna like fungi, weeds, insects, and other pests are precisely what they are designed to fight. However, toxicity is built into their design, and as a result, their extensive use has contributed significantly to agricultural pollution, with a number of unexpected side effects.

This led to research into the long-term effects of the most harmful pesticides, which was followed by national and international regulations intended to limit their usage. Alternative products and methods are available that can control pests without causing the same harm to the environment as their chemical counterparts.

History of Pesticide Use:

Although pesticides have been used for thousands of years, chemical compounds didn't start to be produced until the 20th century. As a result of the discovery that some chemicals, such as dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), have anti-insect qualities, this field experienced a substantial expansion in the 1940s. Originally used all over the world, the product was discovered to be successful in preventing pests, increasing crop yields, and increasing the accessibility and affordability of food for everyone.

DDT was eventually banned in the early 1970s as it was evident that it has disastrous effects on the health of people, animals, and the environment. This forced researchers and agricultural manufacturers to look into other products that would (at least initially) seem to be more environmentally friendly.

The 2018 Pesticide Ban in India:

18 pesticides were banned by the Indian government because of the risks they posed to both humans and animals. Monocrotophos and mancozeb, both of which were connected to the deaths of numerous cotton farmers in Central India last year, are not among them. Additionally, they do not include DDT, which is frequently used in farming and sprayed by local governments as a mosquito repellent, despite the fact that a commission established under the leadership of agricultural scientist Anupam Verma to study harmful pesticides had advised banning it.

Of the 18 pesticides, six will be phased out by December 2020, while the registration, manufacturing, import, sale, and use of 11 are all outright prohibited. The usage of one, the herbicide trifluralin, was likewise immediately banned with the exception of wheat when the Verma committee had in fact, recommended a complete ban.

Are There Non-Harmful Pesticides?

Not all pesticides, however, are as harmful as those listed above. Neem oil, for instance, has been used as a natural pesticide in China for thousands of years. When used properly and without being contaminated by other, more toxic chemicals, it can deliver remarkable results without having any side effects.

In the meanwhile, inexperienced gardeners can make their own insecticides from common household things like soap, garlic, cayenne pepper, onions, and tobacco that can all fend off unwelcome plant invaders without harming the environment. Chemical pesticides continue to be an essential component of farming today despite the damage they bring because it is obviously impossible to apply these types of treatments on a large scale.