Agrochemicals in the agriculture sector are pesticides, herbicides, or fertilizers to manage ecosystems. Undeveloped versions of these fertilizers have been for millennia. This was done in order to improve crop yields and control pest populations.

The types of agrochemicals in agriculture are:

  1. Pesticides or chemicals are substances put in crops to destroy insects and other organisms, weeds, and fungi that could spoil crop yields
  2. Synthetic fertilizers like ammonium nitrate, encourage crop growth by saturating it with soils with nutrients.
  3. Acidifiers and liming agents, alter the pH levels of soils to suit the planting properties of given crops.
  4. Soil conditioners like gypsum, which is designed to condition soils with high sodium (Na) contents to improve planting conditions;
  5. Growth hormones, or synthetic chemicals, speed up animal and plant growth.

Engineering crops with synthetic herbicide resistance is one of the newest and most innovative agrochemical techniques. In fact, they even produce their own insecticides.

Pesticides are chemical substances that kill the pests. Pesticides are made from biological agents like viruses, bacteria, antimicrobials, or disinfectants that can deter, incapacitate, or kill pests. Using pesticides is so common that it is almost synonymous with plant protection. In other words, they get rid of or manage a variety of agricultural pests that can hurt crops and livestock and lower farm productivity. Insecticides kill insects, and herbicides kill weeds. Rodenticides kill rodents. Fungicides to control fungi, mold, and mildew are the four most popular pesticides.

There are six types of pesticides.

  • Insecticides — insects
  • Herbicides — plants
  • Rodenticides — rodents (rats & mice)
  • Bactericides — bacteria
  • Fungicides — fungi
  • Larvicides — larvae

Read more: What is the difference between agrochemicals and pesticides