Difference Between Herbicides and Pesticides

Introduction

Herbicides are sometimes also called weed killers. These substances are widely used to control the undesired plants, widely known as weeds. Most herbicides are used in the form of water sprays using ground equipment. Sometimes spray drift also results in herbicide affecting the neighbouring plants, crops, or fields. Pesticides are substances that are used to control pests. These pesticides are formed to protect plants that’s why it is also called crop protection products and are generally used to protect plants from weeds, insects, or fungi. Pesticides are chemicals or biological agents that usually kill pests, including weeds, insects, plant pathogens, e.t.c.

What are Pesticides?

Pesticides are substances that are widely used to control pests. Pesticides are composed of varieties of chemicals such as insecticides, bactericides, microbicides, fungicides, e.t.c. Pesticides are used to protect plants from weeds, insects, fungi, e.t.c. A pesticide is a chemical or biological agent that restricts, kills, or discourages pests. Pests include weeds, insects, mammals, worms, microbes, e.t.c. can destroy the crops, and plants and they can also cause diseases. Pesticides are also used to kill mosquitoes that are capable of transmitting deadly diseases like malaria, yellow fever, e.t.c. Although pesticides also have some bad effects or toxic effects on plants, humans, and other species.

Effects of Pesticides

There are both positive and negative effects of pesticides. Some of the positive effects of pesticides are-

• Improving productivity- Earlier when pesticides are not introduced, most of our agricultural products were getting destroyed by pathogens that reduced the productivity level. But after introducing pesticides, the productivity level is far better.

• Vector disease control- Vectors or pests are the pathogens that include, insects, mammals, weeds, fungi,e.t.c. These pests or vectors cause many harmful diseases to humans and other species but pesticides can easily kill or discourages these harmful pests.

Some negative effects of Pesticides are as follows-

• Pesticides cause adverse effects on humans as the pesticides applied to the plants, get sticks with the fruits or vegetables, and then we consumed the same which leads to some health complications.

• Pesticides lead to Surface water contamination.

• Pesticides also cause Groundwater contamination and Soil contamination.

Types of Pesticides

Following are the types of Pesticides-

• Herbicides are used for plant treatment.

• Insecticides are used for Insects like mosquitoes that produce malaria.

• Fungicides are used for fungus.

• Rodenticides are the chemicals used for the treatment of rodents (rats and mice).

• Bactericides are used for the treatment of harmful bacteria.

• Larvicides for the treatment of Larvae.

Biodegradable Pesticides

Biodegradable pesticides are types of pesticides that can easily be broken down into useful or harmless compounds by some microorganisms and also by any other form of living organisms during a short interval of time. These pesticides can be obtained from various living organisms like plants, fungi, bacteria, some other microbes, e.t.c.Some examples of biodegradable pesticides or biopesticides are canola oil and baking soda.

Non-Biodegradable Pesticides

Non-biodegradable pesticides are types of pesticides that cannot be broken down into simpler harmless products by any living organisms. These pesticides are also called recalcitrant pesticides. And some longest-living pesticide materials are DDT(dichloro- diphenyl-trichloroethane), chlordane, aldrin, e.t.c, these can survive in the soil for more than 15 years. These pesticides are very harmful to the soil because they continuously leach chemical ingredients into the soil that enters the food crops. So these types of pesticides must be avoided as much as possible.

What are Herbicides?

Herbicides also called weedkillers are used to control or kill weeds(undesired plants). Earlier some products like common salts and some other metal salts were used as herbicides but later on their uses gradually fell out and some countries also banned them completely because of their harmful effects on the soil, groundwater contamination, and many others. It is interesting to note that some plants produce their natural herbicides and those plants are- walnuts or the tree of heaven. Most herbicides are applied in the form of water-based sprays. There are some harmful effects of herbicides also. They affect the neighbouring plants, crops, or fields mostly in windy conditions.

0x0077BE, Pyrimidinylsulfonylurea herbicides, CC0 1.0

Selective and Non-Selective Herbicides

Selective Herbicides are those herbicides that are used to kill some unwanted plants( weeds ) only and not any other valuable plants. Selective Herbicides are usually used on the lawns or in the nursery or the gardens.

Non-Selective Herbicides are those herbicides that are based on the choice of people who wants to kill or destroy all the plants or vegetation in a particular area. These herbicides are used in building projects, cleaning the waste grounds, railway embankments, e.t.c.

Conclusion

Pesticides are the chemicals or biological agents used to protect plants or crops from harmful pests including insects, weeds, e.t.c. Herbicides are the substances used to kill weeds mainly. There are two types of herbicides- selective herbicides and non-selective herbicides. Selective herbicides are used to destroy weeds only and non-selective herbicides are used to destroy all the plants or vegetation coming in their way. Pesticides are also of various types. Examples- insecticides, fungicides, herbicides, rodenticides, e.t.c. Pesticides are further classified as biodegradable pesticides and Non- biodegradable pesticides.

FAQs

1. What are pesticides?

Pesticides are substances that are used to control or restrict pests that include weeds, insects, rodents, bacteria, etc. Some examples of pesticides are herbicides, insecticides, e.t.c.

2. Mention some chemical pesticides.

Some chemical pesticides are DDT(dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane), Boric acid, Malathion, Acephate, Deet, e.t.c.

3. What are selective herbicides?

Selective herbicides are the chemical herbicides used to kill some specific and unwanted plants like weeds without hampering any desired or valuable plants. For ex- 2,4-D amine.

4.Explain biodegradable pesticides?

Biodegradable pesticides or biopesticides are pesticides that are made from natural things so that they can easily be degraded or decomposed or broken down into simpler harmless units within a short interval of time.

5. Mention some harmful effects of pesticides?

Some harmful effects of pesticides are-

• Surface water and groundwater contamination.

• Soil contamination.

• Health problems in humans or other living species.