Agricultural Chemistry

Agriculture is the process of producing several food, feed, fiber and other desired products by the cultivation of specific plants and livestock. In the earlier years, people used to rely on subsistence agriculture to satiate their needs and partly to barter among other goods in small scale (when money was absent, or too rare of a thing). The case was different in the previous eras, the population was much smaller in number, and people were less likely to starve as long as they did farming to feed themselves (and the kings of course). In other words, there was no apparent need to commercialize agriculture to a much higher scale.

After the sudden uprise of world population, an imminent fear of hunger and famine is lurching in the near future if the status of agriculture is not likely to catch up at the same pace. For that, a rapid commercialization and mechanization of agriculture is felt necessary.

Agriculture chemistry is the study of chemistry and biochemistry for the prosperity of agriculture production-- and in a much broader sense-- also in the processing of raw products into refined food items, and in the redemption of environment aspects.

If the status of agriculture is to be industrialized, agriculture chemistry is bound to be tagged along with it. This features the application of various agriculture inputs like chemical insecticides, chemical pesticides, chemical fertilizers, inoculum, medicines and vaccination for livestock, and artificial hormones for plants and animals. It also includes manipulation of soil Ph and nutrient status, and analysis of agriculture products.

The main goal of agricultural chemistry is to get the working mechanism of biochemical reactions on plants and animals, and to extricate the benefits of manipulating these reactions in the welfare of agriculture.

It is also said that every branch of science that is associated to agriculture is stroked by chemistry in one way or other. As  a result, agriculture chemistry is not taken as a distinct science, but a tie between several sciences like genetics, physiology, microbiology, entomology, ecology, biochemistry, and other sciences that link up on agriculture.

Agriculture chemistry is a rather complex matter of study though. A chemical product that supplements one field of agriculture can detriment the other aspect of agriculture. For instance, chemical insecticides and pesticides could in fact relieve plants from their pests and insects, but might as well harm the ecology.

Various opinions have been proposed to review any agriculture products as thoroughly as possible before their commercial release to circumvent any such side effects. As a result, many harmful chemical products that are more detrimental than beneficial have already been banned. Some of the chemical insecticides that have been banned recently in many countries are listed below;

Chemical Name	CAS Registry Number (or EDF Substance ID)
ALDRIN	309-00-2
ARSENIC OXIDE (3)	1327-53-3
ASBESTOS (FRIABLE)	1332-21-4
AZODRIN	6923-22-4
1,4-BENZOQUINONE, 2,3,5,6-TETRACHLORO-	118-75-2
BINAPACRYL	485-31-4
2,3,4,5-BIS (2-BUTENYLENE) TETRAHYDROFURFURAL	126-15-8
BROMOXYNIL BUTYRATE	EDF-186
CADMIUM COMPOUNDS	CAE750
CALCIUM ARSENATE [2ASH3O4.2CA]	7778-44-1
CAMPHECHLOR	8001-35-2
CAPTAFOL	2425-06-1
CARBOFURAN	1563-66-2
CARBON TETRACHLORIDE	56-23-5
CHLORDANE	57-74-9
CHLORDECONE (KEPONE)	143-50-0
CHLORDIMEFORM	6164-98-3
CHLOROBENZILATE	510-15-6
CHLOROMETHOXYPROPYLMERCURIC ACETATE [CPMA]	EDF-183
COPPER ARSENATE	10103-61-4
2,4-D, ISOOCTYL ESTER	25168-26-7
DAMINOZIDE	1596-84-5
DDD	72-54-8
DDT	50-29-3
DI(PHENYLMERCURY)DODECENYLSUCCINATE [PMDS]	EDF-187
1,2-DIBROMO-3-CHLOROPROPANE (DBCP)	96-12-8
1,2-DIBROMOETHANE	106-93-4
1,2-DICHLOROETHANE	107-06-2
DIELDRIN	60-57-1
4,6-DINITRO-O-CRESOL	534-52-1
DINITROBUTYL PHENOL	88-85-7
ENDRIN	72-20-8
EPN	2104-64-5
ETHYLENE OXIDE	75-21-8
FLUOROACETAMIDE	640-19-7
GAMMA-LINDANE	58-89-9
HEPTACHLOR	76-44-8
HEXACHLOROBENZENE	118-74-1
1,2,3,4,5,6-HEXACHLOROCYCLOHEXANE (MIXTURE OF ISOMERS)	608-73-1
1,3-HEXANEDIOL, 2-ETHYL-	94-96-2
LEAD ARSENATE	7784-40-9
LEPTOPHOS	21609-90-5
MERCURY	7439-97-6
METHAMIDOPHOS

Source

EPA. UN PIC & U.S. PIC-Nominated Pesticides List.

http://www.epa.gov/oppfead1/international/us-unlist.htm

All and all, agricultural chemistry is a crucial scaffold for the redemption of agriculture and its various aspects. While organic farming has become a major concern in today’s world, the actual industrialization also relies on the hands of an eco-friendly agricultural chemistry. Since green revolution, the concept of agriculture chemistry has been proven indispensable for agri-welfare. If the status of agriculture development is to be sustained to meet the demand of booming population, a wise and sagacious application of agricultural chemistry is must.

Ideas 9:54 AM