The main role of chemical pesticides in agricultural production
As an important tool for humans to shape agricultural ecology and ensure food supply, chemical pesticides have been widely used in agricultural production since the 20th century. They have played a significant role in preventing and controlling pests and diseases, increasing yields, ensuring quality, reducing costs, and promoting agricultural modernization. But at the same time, their potential environmental impacts and food safety issues have also attracted widespread attention. This article will comprehensively analyze the multiple roles of chemical pesticides in agricultural production, and conduct in-depth interpretations from the perspectives of scientific principles, specific applications, high-quality food security, and sustainable development, providing balanced thinking support for agricultural development and environmental protection.
1. The core role and value of chemical pesticides
1. Disease prevention and control: improving crop disease resistance
Chemical fungicides can control common fungal diseases such as downy mildew, leaf spot, powdery mildew, and rust.
Some fungicides (such as triazoles and benzimidazoles) can protect key organs such as leaves and flower spikes, and stabilize crop yield and quality.
2. Pest control: ensuring growth and yield
Chemical pesticides play a significant role against common aphids, mites, cabbage worms, rice planthoppers, etc.
Systemic pesticides (such as neonicotinoids, pyrethroids, etc.) can be transmitted through plants to protect crops for a long time.
3. Weed control: reduce competition and improve resource utilization
Herbicides can eliminate major grass and dicot weeds and reduce farming costs.
Broad-spectrum formulations such as glyphosate and atrazine have become standard tools in farmland management to improve field operation efficiency.
4. Control nematodes and mites: protect root systems and surface structures
Nematicides and miticides are used to reduce plant root pressure and ensure yield and quality.
2. Comprehensive economic benefits brought by chemical pesticides
1. Increase crop yields
Insecticides and fungicides significantly reduce pest pathogens, and crop yields generally increase by 20-40%.
Herbicides can prevent tillage machinery from damaging roots and increase land operation efficiency by 10-30%.
2. Ensure the quality of agricultural products
Insect and disease prevention improves fruit integrity, reduces fruit deformation and rot, and improves grade and market value.
Herbicides can reduce the risk of "poisonous weeds" entering the food chain and improve food safety.
3. Reduce labor and machinery costs
Disease-resistant crops traditionally require several manual controls, while chemical pesticides can be processed in batches at one time to improve efficiency.
Reduce the labor demand for power farming and manual weeding, and reduce costs by 20-50%.
4. Stabilize market supply and financial guarantees
High and stable crop yields ensure national food security, increase farmers' income, and promote rural development.
The widespread use of chemical pesticides reduces yield fluctuations and reduces the risk of fiscal expenditure due to pests and diseases.
III. The important role of chemical pesticides in modern agriculture
1. Application strategies in precision agriculture
With the help of sensor technology, drones, satellite imaging and intelligent spraying systems, pesticides can achieve "variable application" and save more than 30-70% of the amount of medicine used.
2. Coordinated application with ecological agriculture
Chemical pesticides are combined with biological control and physical natural enemies to build an integrated management (IPM). While reducing the negative impact of pesticides, maintain the efficiency of prevention and control.
3. An important tool for crop resistance management
By rotating pesticides with different mechanisms of action, the development of pest resistance can be effectively delayed and sustainable long-term control can be achieved.
IV. Technical challenges and risk control of chemical pesticides
1. Pesticide residues and environmental pollution
Excessive use of pesticides will lead to the accumulation of toxic chemicals in water and soil, causing long-term impacts on the ecosystem.
Chemical pesticides have a greater impact on non-target organisms such as bees and aquatic organisms, and ecological monitoring needs to be introduced.
2. Concerns about human health and food safety
Some highly toxic and high-residue pesticides pose potential risks to pregnant women and children, and maximum residue limits (MRLs) are generally set globally.
Scientific and compliant application of pesticides, strict testing and pesticide residue standards are important guarantees.
3. Resistance development and spread of resistance
Long-term single use of pesticides causes pests to develop resistance to the formulation, resulting in reduced control effectiveness.
It is necessary to strengthen the rotation of pesticides, low-dose precision use of pesticides and monitoring and early warning systems.
V. Future development trends and technical paths of chemical pesticides
1. Develop towards low-toxicity, high-efficiency and green alternatives
Develop new low-residue, high-safety alternatives, such as pyrethroids and biodegradable insecticides.
Promote dosage form improvement technologies, such as slow-release granules and microcapsule coatings, to improve safety and reduce environmental impact.
2. Digital empowerment of pesticide use
Intelligent spraying systems can achieve real-time monitoring and precise spraying.
AI-assisted decision-making systems help farmers assess risks and pesticide selection.
3. Innovative mechanism of action pesticide research and development
Develop new mechanisms of action such as HPPD inhibitors, new pyrethroids, anti-tick and other chemical structures for resistant pests.
Accelerate the approval and promotion of new pesticide varieties to meet ecological needs.
4. Cooperate with biological control and crop resistance varieties
Rationally combine Bt crops, insect-resistant varieties and chemical pesticides to improve overall benefits and reduce environmental pressure.
Participate in the construction and promotion of the IPM system to achieve the goal of "less use of drugs, better use of drugs".
VI. Summary and Outlook
Chemical pesticides are the core tools to ensure global food production and improve crop yield and quality, and their prevention and control functions fully cover pests and diseases.
Scientific management and technological upgrades can take into account both prevention and control efficiency and ecological protection.
The combination of "precision application", "rotational use of pesticides", "low-toxic substitution" and "digital agriculture" constitutes the core support of the modern agricultural prevention and control system.
In the face of global climate change, population growth and resource pressure, chemical pesticides will still play a key role in agricultural development, but they must be used reasonably under scientific control to achieve a win-win situation of food security and environmental sustainability.
