Agrochemicals in Soil and Environment: An Overview

Abstract

Frequently changing environmental conditions pose serious threat to the global agriculture by putting extra burden in the form of environmental insults (biotic and abiotic factors) and challenge to food security, and thus, the global population. To ensure the food security, optimal production of agriculture is essential. Judicious and safe use of agrochemicals (like chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and plant growth regulators) has enormous potential to boost the agriculture productivity for meeting the food demand of rapidly growing population, but excessive use causes serious damage to the environment and contaminate the soil, water, and whole ecosystem, thus threatening the soil micro biota and soil health sustenance. The continuous use of agrochemicals often results in accumulation of metals/polychlorinated biphenyls, etc. in soil and water, and thus the food chain, and damages the human/animal health. Therefore, research on soil health and adoption of alternative measures in the form of compost and vermicompost, yard and green manures, biopesticide, beneficial fungi, and plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria are essentially required. Remediation or restoration of degraded soil can be achieved through microbe consortium/nano and biochar-assisted breakdown chemicals/pesticides.