Question

What are the advantages and disadvantages of the pesticides?

Answer 1

Hint: Pesticides stop the growth of pests of plants, insects that attack plants on all stages. Use of pesticide is beneficial for pest control but it has disadvantages too.

Complete answer:
Pest of plants are chewing insects, sucking insects and internal feeders.
Advantages- Pesticides include herbicides, insecticides, bactericide, insect repellent etc. These are used to protect the crops from weeds and insects that affect the plant growth and damage them. This destroys the pests or inhibits their growth. The insects (pests) affect the plants or crops by feeding on them. The plant feeders live on crops and destroy it. The sucking insects suck all the nutrients of the crop and damage them. The chewing insects chew the leaf, fruit, stem or any other part of the plant and makes it inappropriate for consumption. The pesticides fight these pests and inhibit their growth or kill them. Many farmers use pesticides to protect their crop as it can damage the crop which will lead to loss of the crop as well as the farmer.

Disadvantages- Pesticides have a major drawback i.e. it is poisonous and is injurious to health. They are toxic and can cause a number of health effects like serious illnesses, respiratory diseases and problems like cancer. The use of pesticides is increasing to protect the crops but it has major health problems. Consuming crops with high pests can lead to serious health issues which could even lead to death.

Note: Pesticides are toxic which kill insects affecting crops but are also harmful for human health. Eg: Leukemia, Parkinson’s disease - Difficulty in balancing, coordination.