The Role of Agrochemicals in Enhancing Crop Yields and Food Security
Agrochemicals, also known as agrichemicals, are a type of chemical product that is used across the agricultural sector, mainly to boost the yield of the crop and improve the crop quality. There are two major types of agrochemicals available across the globe, i.e. pesticides and fertilizers. A pesticide is a type of chemical that repels, kills, or controls invasive plants, insects, and forms of animals. There are three types of pesticides, herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides. Herbicides prevent the growth of invasive weeds near the crop, whereas they repel and kill insects. The fungicides help to prevent the growth of fungi in the farmland. Fertilizers are a type of chemical substance, that boosts the nutritional level of the soil, boosting the yield capability of the crops. There are three basic types of fertilizers, which are majorly divided by the main component used in them, which includes nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.
Agrochemicals play an important role to the farmers in the agricultural sector, as they improve the yield capability of the crops, and also protect the crops from diseases, pests, and weeds. The agrochemicals help to kill the bacteria and other harmful organisms in the soil, improving the quality of the soil. These chemicals also improve the pH level of the soil, and its nitrate content, which are beneficial for healthy crop production. The agrochemicals increase the crop-yielding efficiency of the farmland, as by using such chemicals, more crops can be produced in the smaller harvested area. It also helps to reduce the cost of the farms, as these chemicals reduce the need for various types of soil and water treatments, and also reduce the labor cost. Widespread use of these agrochemicals can also alter the quality of the crops, which after consumption, can further lead to health problems.
Although agrochemicals offer numerous benefits to the production of crops, they also include some major environmental and health drawbacks. One of the major disadvantages of agrochemicals is that it leads to environmental pollution. Excessive use of chemicals like pesticides and fertilizers often leads to the contamination of the local water source, like the groundwater. It also decreases the quality of the soil and affects the nutrient balance.
In the global agricultural sector, agrochemicals offer a key role, in growing the production of the crops and maintaining the demand. Some of the key drivers that are estimated to increase the usage of agrochemicals in the globe are as follows:
- Increasing production of crops.
With the increase in the demand for crops across the globe, the production of the crops grew significantly, majorly with the expansion of the global population. With the increase in the global population, the demand for food crops, like wheat, rice, and cereals will grow, pushing the demand for these crops. Similarly, the growth of the global food and beverage industry is also estimated to grow the demand for food crops across the globe.
The production of crops across the globe witnessed a massive increase, especially in countries with a developing agricultural sector. The total crop production report of the US Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Services stated that in 2023-24, the total production of rice in India accounted for 137,000 thousand tons, whereas about 110,554 thousand tons of wheat and 37,500 thousand tons of corn was produced in the nation. Similarly, during the same time, about 389,694 thousand tons of corn were produced in the USA, and about 49,314 thousand tons of wheat and 6,931 thousand tons of rice were produced. In China, the total production of corn was recorded at 272,009 thousand tons, whereas about 144,620 thousand tons of rice and 136,590 thousand tons of wheat were produced in 2023-24.
Figure 1: Crops Production in USA, India, and China, Thousand Tons, 2023-24
Source: US Department of Agriculture
Key Developments
- In May 2024, BASF introduced its new insecticide, in the Australian agricultural market. The Cimegra offers flexible and long-lasting protection to the crops, and it delivers quick and powerful control of insects like the diamondback moth, in the farmland.
- In February 2024, Nichino America, Inc., launched its new herbicide, which is aimed for use in rice cultivation in California, USA. The Zembu Herbicide was approved by the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (CDPR) for use in rice, for weed control. This herbicide consists of protoporphyrinogen oxidase (PPO), which offers a high efficiency in controlling the weeds.
In conclusion, agrochemicals offer key applications in enhancing crop yield, and food security, as these chemicals help in improving the quality of the soil, and also enhance agricultural efficiency. Agrochemicals also reduce the use of additional treatments for the soil, water, or crops, and they also protect the plants from any diseases.