THE NEGATIVE EFFECT OF AGROCHEMICAL IN AMECHANIZED AGRICULTURE IN NIGERIA.

INTRODUCTION:
Since industrialisation, conventional agricultural practices have put increasing pressure on
land to produce more per hectare. Agrochemicals, monoculture cropping systems and
intensive tillage have led to soil degradation, damaging the landscape and because 38% of the
world’s land surface is agricultural, the scale of this issue is huge.
Agriculture is the leading source of pollution in many countries hence Pesticides, fertilizers
and other toxic farm chemicals can poison fresh water, marine ecosystems, air and soil. They
also can remain in the environment for generations.
Although agrochemicals can prevent and control pests, diseases, and weeds to greatly
improve the harvests of coffee, rice, beans, corn farmers etc. However, during spraying, only
a small amount of the toxic chemicals reaches the targeted pests, diseases, and weeds. The
rest contaminates the surrounding soil, air, and waterbodies which brings harm to useful
living creatures in ecosystems.

The effect of agrochemical in a mordern technological setting cannot be overemphasized as it play a
greater role on the soil, climate change, water, air and bacterial.
SOIL
Nitrogen is an important element for soil fertility, and it enables plants to grow. Bacteria are the organisms
in soil that create nitrogen and make the soil fertile. However, once agrochemicals spill over from the
plants to the soil, they can be detrimental to the population of bacteria. This can subsequently affect the
levels of nitrogen and other minerals in the soil – making it less conducive for plant growth.
Like bacteria, earthworms also play a significant role in enhancing the quality and fertility of soil. They
decompose organic matter which essentially turns into a natural manure for plants. Worms also play a vital
role in the soil’s structure by creating channels for plant irrigation, and soil drainage and aeration.

AIR
Pesticides have the potential to contaminate our air, affecting the health of humans, animals, and plants.
During spraying, strong winds can cause agrochemicals to drift and contaminate nearby surfaces. Aside
from this affecting the health of humans in nearby settlements, it can cause a ripple effect that can
adversely affect ecosystems. When they drift to nearby plants, insects and waterbodies, agrochemicals can
expose important pollinators like bees, fruit flies and some beetles to pesticides either through inhalation or
ingestion. Overtime, this can lead to the loss of plant species because of the lack of adequate populations
of pollinators.
In addition, Livestock, birds, and other animals can encounter the agrochemicals in the air through
inhalation, absorbing it through their skin or ingesting them through feeding on contaminated plants or
seeds. Although this exposure is rarely fatal for larger animals, high levels of pesticides can be found in the
meat of livestock which humans eat. Pesticides can also lead to high mortality of smaller animals like
birds. Birds and other predators like spiders play a critical role in ecosystems because they help maintain
the natural balance of insect populations by eating them, and some species like hummingbirds are also
important pollinators. Therefore, a decline in the population of birds could lead to an increase in plant
pests/insects as well as the loss of some plant species.
WATER
Pesticide residues can drift into waterbodies through the air, accidental spillage, rain runoff from
contaminated soil or washing the spraying equipment after use. Excessive use of agrochemicals can also
lead to the contamination of groundwater with nitrate, a chemical compound that in large concentrations is
poisonous to humans and animals. Aside from the contaminated water affecting the health of the animals
that come into contact of it – including livestock and humans – pesticides have been directly linked to
causing fish mortality. Fish are an important part of marine ecosystems because they provide food for other
mammals and birds. Therefore, a decline in the population of fish would greatly affect many other animals
in food chains and food webs.

CLIMATE CHANGE
The increased use of agrochemicals is a side effect of climate change because higher temperatures trigger
increased incidents of pests and diseases. At the same time, producing and using agrochemicals to
control the pests and diseases creates climate problems. The production of nitrogen-based fertilizers “is
energy-intensive, requiring the burning of fossil fuels. After farmers apply these synthetic fertilizers to
crops, chains of chemical reactions generate nitrous oxide, or N2O, a greenhouse gas. N2O has a far
greater global warming potential than either methane or carbon dioxide—265 times more by weight as
CO2.

POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS TO THESE EFFECTS
Since agriculture remain the most essential element of the global food supply especially in Nigeria both for
export and domestic consumption. Environmental exposure of humans to agrochemicals is common and
results in both acute and chronic health effects, including acute and chronic neurotoxicity (insecticides,
fungicides, fumigants), lung damage (paraquat), chemical burns (anhydrous ammonia), and infant
methemoglobinemia (nitrate in groundwater). A variety of cancers also have been linked to exposure to
various pesticides, particularly hematopoietic cancers. Therefore,
The use of control methodologies and the impacts of these practises should be monitored over time to
improve agripest control and guard against unforeseen consequences above mentioned.
Agriculture is arguably the most important undertaking that ensures the continuance of human civilisation.
Agripest pressures can have dramatic effects on our ability to produce food and fibre (of which there is a
growing need as population increases), and the loss of methods to control or avoid these effects is a
significant threat.