The True Scope of Agriculture

Agriculture has been the primary occupation of human beings, and that too a very important one. It provides a variety of products - crops - that are essential for humankind. Agriculture not only supports humans for their subsistence, but helps a large number of industries too.

Agriculture forms the raw material for numerous farm products based industries. The basic products, resulting from agricultural activities, are processed in big factories, before the final product is marketed. As such, agriculture generates employment, both for people working in the farming sector as well as those in the industrial, agriculture-based sector.

These days, agriculture has become an important commercial activity. A variety of crops are grown, which can be classified as -

oFood crops

oCommercial crops

oFiber crops

oBeverage crops.

Agriculture has benefited a great deal from the various advancements in the field of science and technology - with modern machines making the 'field' jobs much easier than ever before. All over the world, agriculture is managed efficiently with the help of modern farm equipment. In the US, farmers rely much more on technology than on manual labor.

Machines are used for all important farm operations like - tilling, sowing, harvesting, sorting of fruits, etc. Most farmers prefer employing those laborers who are skillful, and who can operate upon their tractors, combines and harvesters. In fact, farmers are also ever so ready to try out every new development in the variety of crops, pesticides, fertilizers and the like.

The importance of agriculture also lies in the fact that it supports the export sector also - most of the farmers in the United States produce largely for exports, as the soil produce is quite fertile, and coupled with modern technology, the returns are huge. Some of the major farm products are crops like - rice, wheat, sugarcane, cotton, jute, tea, coffee and rubber - which are produced in most parts of the world.

In countries that export surplus farm output, agriculture is all the more significant, and the agricultural production is fairly high. As the farmer gets a good profit, his financial position, especially in developed countries, is better than many other entrepreneurs. He is now able to purchase the latest machinery, use latest techniques of farming, buy new and improved hybrid varieties of seeds, and use the best fertilizers to increase productivity.

Nowadays, there are improvements in wholesale marketing as well as transportation of farm products. The use of refrigeration systems and efficient rail transport has made possible the safe delivery of perishable farm products like dairy products, vegetables, and fruits. With barely 4% of total population of United States engaged in agriculture, they have huge exportable surplus.

Agriculture is not just limited to crop cultivation, dairy farming has become an indispensable part of the agricultural process. Dairy farming is the practice of farming in which cattle are kept for milk and milk products. Oftentimes, poultry is also included. In fact, the scope of agriculture has widened, with interrelated sectors over-lapping one another; and in the present, each of these sectors is as important as any other!...

Dichlorvos, organophosphate - DDVP

 Dichlorvos is an organophosphate (OP) insecticide widely used in
developing countries. Because of its high acute toxicity and the consequent
dangers to workers, there are concerns whether safe use is possible under such
conditions.



    It is effective against mushroom flies, aphids, spider mites, caterpillars, thrips, and whiteflies in greenhouse, outdoor fruit, and vegetable crops. It is also used in the milling and grain handling industries and to treat a variety of parasitic worm infections in dogs, livestock, and humans. It is fed to livestock to control bot fly larvae in the manure. It acts against insects as both a contact and a stomach poison. It is available as an aerosol and soluble concentrate. It is also used in pet collars and "no-pest strips" as pesticide-impregnated plastic. In this form it has recently been labeled for use against bed bugs

Abstract

In this study, in order to elucidate the toxic nuclear effects of
dichlorvos, freshly isolated human peripheral blood lymphocytes were
incubated with 5, 10, 20, 40, 80 and 100 microg/mL of dichlorvos.
According to the results, dichlorvos induced micronuclei, decreased the
mitotic and replication indexes. It is a genotoxic product causing
chromosomal damage (an increase in micronucleus) and cell death
(decrease in mitotic and replication indexes).

DDVP COMPANY

Different type of company with the same effectiveness, but the same product: example of company like WACOT COMPANY, ACTION COMPANY AND JUBAILI COMPANY  e.t.c



Chronic toxicity
Reproductive effects
The HSE review found: "No fertility studies which are both adequately conducted and reported... Individually no study is considered adequate to assess the teratogenic potential of dichlorvos in any species". In spite of these data gaps, government ministers ruled that: "Overall the weight of evidence indicates that dichlorvos does not present a risk to fertility and reproduction in humans.

Genotoxicity
There is evidence that dichlorvos is mutagenic in bacteria, fungi, and mammalian cells in vitro, but that there is no evidence for mutagenicity in whole animals, when it is rapidly degraded.

Environmental effects
   Dichlorvos is toxic to fish and aquatic arthropods are more sensitive than fish. It is highly toxic to birds and to honey bees.

   However, by applying an arbitrary safety factor of 100 to the toxic dose for the most sensitive species, the Water Research Centre has recommended an annual average level of 0.001 µg/l (parts per billion) for freshwater species, and 0.04 µg/l for marine life in saline waters.


 Food residues
Because dichlorvos degrades fairly rapidly it is not generally found as a residue on food. The UK Working Party on Pesticide Residues monitors residues in food, and dichlorvos is rarely found if at all.

How to Protect Your Crops From an Overdose of Chemicals

The uses of chemicals on crops is very common. Oftentimes farmers use spray-chemicals on crops to destroy unwanted pests, which include rodents and insects, to prevent them from damaged crops. Unfortunately these chemicals could be hazardous to humans because they trigger health issues for many consumers.

Chemicals mostly sprayed on crops are pesticides and herbicides. Pesticides are known as substances that can chemically eradicate pests, while herbicides are known as substances that chemically eradicate infectious plants and weeds. There are many advantages for using these substances, which include lower food costs and a better human life quality. we should consider the risks and drawbacks of using these kinds of chemicals along with their benefits.

Both herbicides and pesticides are commonly marked as harmful because they consist of highly toxic chemicals. In fact, these chemicals do not only affect the crops they engage but also may pollute the soil and surrounding water sources. During heavy rain periods, chemicals sprayed on crops may end up in the public's groundwater by running off into nearby waterways. Certainly this could be potentially hazardous to the public's groundwater for drinking water. That is why it is important to protect your crops from an overdose of chemicals.

Proper handling and usage of pesticides and herbicides are the keys to avoid overdose and toxicity from the chemicals. Before buying and using these chemicals, we should learn all we can about the material, how to appropriately use it, and how to properly throw away the empty containers. It means, for proper handling we should always read the pesticide or herbicide labels. We must store the chemicals in a safe place and keep them away from children's reach. Also, we should carefully consider whether spray chemicals are necessary and if an alternative solution maybe just as effective.

To avoid further issues related with the uses of chemicals on crops, farmers should choose chemicals that have a reasonable certainty of not stimulating any harm to the public. Before they spray their crops with specific pesticides or herbicides, they should check whether there have been many tests and evaluations on the selected chemicals. They should note that even some areas need the public be informed before using chemicals on crops. Also, they should display the public notices related with spraying chemicals on crops  in newspapers, letters, or flyers.

In short, avoiding exposure to toxic substances needs awareness and precautions of possible poisoning as well as unwanted reaction from them. As alternative to chemical products, there are organic pesticides and herbicides that tend to repel insects instead of demolish them. These are specifically appealing to farmers who only want to keep insects away instead of eradicate them in their droves. They are all effective as pest repellents, which are not environmentally toxic.

How to Protect Your Corn From Insects

So your corn is planted and seems to be thriving, but there are a few hurdles that need to be still surpassed and one of the pressing issues being what is the best way to protect the corn form insects?



The three primary pests that threaten to destroy your crop are animals, insects and diseases. Make sure you examine your corn plants at regular intervals for danger of infestation. Corn earworms are also pests that you need to watch out for and they usually have an affinity for sweet corn that they attack consistently every year.



Moths deposit eggs on the leaves near the ear that grow into tiny caterpillars. The worms tend to feed on the tip of the ear. Nothing can be controlled once the worm enters the inside of the protective husk covering and the damage is inflicted. However there are certain measures that can be undertaken to protect your corn plants:



First, to keep the earworms from entering the trip of the husk, you can wrap a rubber band around the tip of the ear or attach a clothespin after the corn silk appears. This method will go a long way in minimizing the damage.



Secondly, you can protect your corn plants by spraying an insecticide called BT or Bacilulus Thuringiensis that contains a particular bacterium which will affect and attack only the larvae of the corn invader. This chemical spray will ensure all pest and insects are destroyed and killed. When using chemical sprays, make sure you consult the store you bought it from to ensure that you use the right amount as to not poison the crop and keep it safe for human consumption.



Other insect pests such as cutworms, stalk borers and stink bugs can reduce the corn stands as well even if a soil insecticide is used while planting, these insects can kill the seedling corn plants through the 4-6 leaf stage. Special scouting procedures are undertaken to determine when these insects might appear. The seed corn maggot can also destroy the corn plant and in order to protect the germinating seeds and seedlings from this pest, a seed treatment must be applied. Sampling of the soil for wire worms and white grubs must be administered supplemented with random digging of the soil with a shovel.



While planting corn seeds, a seed insecticide must be sprayed that will provide moderate protection against infestations of black cutworms, by undertaking all the necessary measures to protect your corn from the attack of any insects will result in more corn yields with less loss due to feeding damage by insects. Once the insects have infected the ear of the corn, the damage has been done and at that junction there is no reverse route. Your corn is destroyed and cannot be picked for eating purposes. This leads to loss and low corn yields thus spoiling the harvest for that year. A collaborative effort with innovative solutions to keep insects at bay will protect your corn not only form insects but allow it to thrive as well.

Essential Tools For The Farm

Farming is one of the most difficult professions out there. It requires constant diligence, constant hard work, and careful coordination. There are no sick days and no paid vacations. But farming has come a long way over the years. With the help of machines and high tech equipment, farming is a whole lot easier than it was even fifty years ago. Running a farm requires the help of a few essential tools. Listed below are some examples of tools that a farmer couldn't live without.

One of the most important tools on a farm is a pickup truck. Because farmers are continually hauling supplies and tools, pickups are probably the most versatile and useful tools a farmer can have. Whether it's needed to haul sod, animal feed, or building supplies, a truck that is well cared for can be useful for years. Another important tool is a tractor. In fact, some farmers may argue that a tractor is the most important farm vehicle.

Tractors are extremely versatile vehicles and therefore can perform a wide variety of functions. Tractors can be fitted with several tools that can be used to bale hay, set fence posts, push snow, or mow acres of lawn, among many other things. For farms with livestock, another essential tool is a livestock trailer. Horses and cattle are important animals on a farm and farmer needs a way to transport them. Even when not used for transporting animals, a livestock trailer can be used to haul hay or supplies. With the help of these important tools, a farmer can accomplish his work easier, faster, and more efficiently.

How Agrochemical Products Help in Production

Just think on the matter, if a larger part of production produced by farmers gets destroyed by insects, weeds and pests: what would be their metal condition? You will agree with me that nothing can be more disheartening for them than this. So killing of these never wanted pests is naturally a matter of prior interest to them. Naturally the question comes how to safeguard their production and kill these pests. It's not a matter of taking tension but easy enough. Here a farmer needs to apply agrochemical products to his crops. Applying the pesticides and insecticides on crops this problem can be solved to a significant level.

Basic information about agrochemicals

Agrochemicals refer to the products or substances which are used actively in managing agricultural ecosystem. They are also known as crop protection products. They play a significant role to inhibit the attacks of pests, fungi, weeds, diseases and other undesirable pests which are considered as serious threats to the crop production. With the growing population the shortage of food is being discerned and day by day it is becoming more and more acute. In this scenario, unless we can control these pests, we will be in great problem and a scarcity for food might come to us in near future. So these agrochemical products appears to be a boon to us because of the substantial benefits offered by them provide a solution to meet the challenge of more food in less land.

Benefits related to agrochemical products

It is supposed that production of agrochemical products have two-fold benefits. The primary benefit is that they combat with various problems related to undesirable pests, insects, fungi etc. The secondary benefit of it is that agrochemical products indirectly alleviate poverty as they improve agricultural productivity.

Various types of agrochemical products

Agrochemical products comprise a full array of products like: pesticides, insecticides, fungicides and herbicides. However in different forms or names they come to us but all of their purpose is same. Their main aim is to protect crops from the harmful attacks of pest, insects, unwanted weeds and fungi respectively. These products again can be classified into four sections: inorganic pesticides, organic pesticides and pre emergent and post emergent herbicides.

Application of agrochemical products

It is the most effective part requires a good understanding, for lack of knowledge in application often leads to serious problems for the users and environment. Therefore, it is mandatory that a user must have basic understanding before applying the agrochemicals on crops.

How Best to Deal With Oxalis

Oxalis, commonly known as Wood Sorrel, is hardly one of the ugliest of weeds. On the contrary, many species are favored perennials in garden beds, with their delicate, clover-like leaves, and attractive blooms. Yet one species of Wood Sorrel, Oxalis pes-caprae, can be in certain circumstances, one of the most annoying and difficult weeds to eradicate.

Oxalis has two properties that make it particularly problematical. One is the vigorous network of bulbs that it develops, rendering ineffective, hand or mechanical weeding. Secondly, while most perennial weeds are active during the summer, the primary growing season for Oxalis is the winter. Why is this a problem?

It is often the case that perennial weeds need to be treated with a systemic herbicide in order to eradicate them. The most suitable systemic weed killers available to gardeners are those based on glyphosate, such as Roundup. The trouble is that Roundup's systemic properties (that is the capacity to reach down to the plant's roots) are only effective during warm weather, and when the weeds are actively growing. Considering that the plant is mainly active during the cooler months of the year, it follows that the bride and the groom; in this case Oxalis and Roundup, "miss" each other.

Wood Sorrel is not a disaster in all situations. If it grows in a small flowerbed, hand weeding as a part of routine maintenance, will not eliminate the weed, but keep it under reasonable control. As mentioned before, the plant is not unattractive.

Heavy infestations in a lawn can be more disagreeable, unless mowing is carried out very frequently - say every three days or so. If eradication is the goal, then it is possible to apply a selective herbicide, that poisons broad-leaved plants (like Oxalis) without damaging then lawn. The trouble is that the weed killers in this category, which are based on the dreaded 2-4-D, evaporate easily, and by so doing, can seriously damage neighboring plants, including those in adjoining properties. While their use may be reasonably safe where there are no plants in the vicinity, in the average private garden, they are liable to be very dangerous.

Without a doubt though, Oxalis comes into its own as a noxious weed, in areas of the garden planted with low ground covers. If it is growing with the ground covers, it is virtually impossible to get rid of without damaging the desired plants. It is vitally important therefore to eliminate the Oxalis prior to planting. However, here it is worth remembering the case of the unhappy bride and groom who discover that they are unsuited to each other!

What should you do in the summer for instance, if you were planning to plant ground-hugging plants, in soil that may contain Oxalis bulbs? The answer is to wait for winter and the sprouting of the Oxalis weeds, and then treat them with the afore-mentioned selective herbicides, which unlike Roundup, are effective in cool weather. Needless to say, the work should only be carried out by a qualified professional.