Chemicals in Agriculture

Over the last fifty years, most farmers have relied on chemical fertilizers to give their soil extra nutrients to increase crop and grass growth. When it rains, some of these chemicals can be washed into nearby rivers, lakes and the sea. Here, the extra nutrients can cause algae— tiny water plants that look like slime — to grow too. When the algae spreads over the surface of the water it takes away sunlight and oxygen, killing other plants and fish.

Many farmers also spray their crops with chemicals called pesticides, which kill insects, weeds, diseases and other pests. Although this can be of great help to the farmer, these chemicals can get into the food chain and become harmful to other animals. Some pesticides stay in the soil for years, and can get into the food we eat. Other pesticides get washed out of the soil into rivers where they can harm fish and poison the drinking water for animals and humans.

Farmers must understand the advantages and disadvantages of using chemicals on their farms and be careful when using them.

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