Agricultural chemistry is the study of chemistry, especially organic chemistry and biochemistry, as they relate to agriculture. This includes agricultural production, the use of ammonia in fertilizer, pesticides, and how plant biochemistry can be used to genetically alter crops. Agricultural chemistry is not a distinct discipline, but a common thread that ties together genetics, physiology, microbiology, entomology, and numerous other sciences that impinge on agriculture.

Agricultural chemistry studies the chemical compositions and reactions involved in the production, protection, and use of crops and livestock. Its applied science and technology aspects are directed towards increasing yields and improving quality, which comes with multiple advantages and disadvantages.

Advantages and Disadvantages

The goals of agricultural chemistry are to expand understanding of the causes and effects of biochemical reactions related to plant and animal growth, to reveal opportunities for controlling those reactions, and to develop chemical products that will provide the desired assistance or control. Agricultural chemistry is therefore used in processing of raw products into foods and beverages, as well as environmental monitoring and remediation. It is also used to make feed supplements for animals, as well as medicinal compounds for the prevention or control of disease. When agriculture is considered with ecology, the sustainablility of an operation is considered.

However, modern agrochemical industry has gained a reputation for its maximising profits while violating sustainable and ecologically viable agricultural principles.[1] Eutrophication, the prevalence of genetically modified crops and the increasing concentration of chemicals in the food chain (e.g. persistent organic pollutants) are only a few consequences of naive industrial agriculture.

In recent years there has been somewhat of a debate between industrial agriculture and organic agriculture as to which method is better suited to provide the food necessary for a growing population. Supporters of organic agriculture argue for a more sustainable approach to framing, one that doesn't degrade or harm the environment. Those for industrial agriculture say that organic farming methods do not produce enough food to provide for the world's population, though there is no scientific evidence to back this up. The debate is ongoing on both sides.

Soil Chemistry

Agricultural chemistry often aims at preserving or increasing the fertility of soil, maintaining or improving the agricultural yield, and improving the quality of the crop.

The discovery of the Haber-Bosch process led to increase in production of crops in the 20th century.[2] This process involves converting nitrogen and hydrogen gas into ammonia for use in fertilizer. Ammonia is essential for crop growth as nitrogen is vital in cellular biomass.[3] This process dramatically increases the rate at which crops are produced, which is able to support the growing human population.[2] The most common form of nitrogen fertilization source is urea, but ammonium sulphate, diammonium phosphate, and calcium ammonium phosphate are also used.[2]

A drawback to the Haber-Bosch process is its high energy usage.[4]

The usage of vermicompost is another process that has more recently been used in agricultural fields. The process of vermicomposting involves using the waste from certain high-nutrient foods as an organic fertilizer for crops. Earth worms play a large part in this process, eating the nutritious waste then breaking it down to be absorbed into the soil.[5]

Vermicomposting has many benefits. Some of these benefits include the amount of food being wasted is minimized, consequently also leading to a decrease in greenhouse gas emissions as the breaking down of food waste produces powerful methane emissions. Vermicomposting also re-introduces important nutrients such as potassium, calcium, and magnesium back into the soil so as to be readily accessible to plants. This increase in nutrients in the soil also leads to an increase in the nutrients of the plants, as well as it increases plant growth and decreases diseases. Finally, vermicomposting is seen as a more beneficial fertilizer compared to chemical fertilizers due to long-term application of chemical fertilizers and pesticides leading to depletions in the soil and crops as well as it upsets ecological balance and health.[5]

Some disadvantages of vermicomposting include the complications that come with trying to compost a large amount of waste. Continuous waste and water is needed to maintain the process, leading to some difficulties. The earthworms that are essential to the process are also sensitive to such things as pH, temperature, and moisture content.[5]

Pesticides

Chemical materials developed to assist in the production of food, feed, and fiber include herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, and other pesticides. Pesticides are chemicals that play an important role in increasing crop yield and mitigating crop losses.[6] A variety of chemicals are used as pesticides, including 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic Acid (2,4-D), Aldrin/Dieldrin, Atrazine and others.[7] These work to keep insects and other animals away from crops to allow them to grow undisturbed, effectively regulating pests and diseases.

Disadvantages of pesticides and herbicides include contamination of the ground and water. They may also be toxic to non-target species, including birds and fish.[8] Specifically, the pesticide glyphosate has been accused of being a cause for cancer after heavy, routine use, and has suitable faced many lawsuits. The insecticide neonicotinoid has been found to be injurious to pollinators and the herbicide dicamba's tendency to drift has caused damage to many crops, according to US Midwest farmers.[9]

Plant Biochemistry

Plant biochemistry is the study of chemical reactions that occur within plants. Scientists use plant biochemistry to understand the genetic makeup of a plant in order to discover which DNA creates which plant characteristics. Innovations in plant biochemistry seek to increase plant resilience and discover new, more effective ways, of maintaining food sources. Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO's) are one way of achieving this. GMO's are plants or living things that have been altered at a genomic level by scientists to improve the organisms characteristics. These characteristics include providing new vaccines for humans, increasing nutrients supplies, and creating unique plastics.[10] They may also be able to grow in climates that are typically not suitable for the original organism to grow in.[10] Examples of GMO's include virus resistant tobacco and squash, delayed ripening tomatoes, and herbicide resistant soybeans.[10]

GMO's came with an increased interest in using biotechnology to produce fertilizer and pesticides. Due to an increased market interest in biotechnology in the 1970s, there was more technology and infrastructure developed, a decreased cost, and an advance in research. Since the early 1980s, genetically-modified crops have been incorporated. Increased biotechnological work calls for the union of biology and chemistry to produce improved crops, a main reason behind this being the increasing amount of food needed to feed a growing population.[11]

That being said, concerns with GMO's include potential antibiotic resistance from eating a GMO.[10] There are also concerns about the long term effects on the human body since many GMO's were recently developed.[10]

Because of the concerns some have with GMO's, there is much controversy surrounding them; in the United States, the House of Representatives passed a bill that made it mandatory that all foods that contain GMO's be labeled either in the forms of text on the containers of food, an Agricultural Department created symbol, or a smartphone scannable bar code. Previously, some states had already enacted legislature of this kind, leading farm groups and the food industry to push for the passing of this bill on a national front to prevent the complexity of laws that would come with different state requirements on the labeling of GMO's, believing that it would also lead to increased food prices in stores. Opposition to this bill came from organic food producers and consumer advocacy groups who believed the use of bar codes in labeling would prevent those Americans without smartphones from accessing that important information of what was in their food, as well as the argument that a number of GMO foods, particularly those made with the CRISPR editing tool, would fail to meet the requirements for labeling.[12]

See also

Notes and references

  1. ↑ Jessop, Anna; Wilson, Nicole; Bardecki, Michal; Searcy, Cory (5 September 2019). "Corporate Environmental Disclosure in India: An Analysis of Multinational and Domestic Agrochemical Corporations". Sustainability. 11 (18): 4843. doi:10.3390/su11184843.
  2. 1 2 3 Rouwenhorst, K.H.R.; Elishav, O.; Mosevitzky Lis, B.; Grader, G.S.; Mounaïm-Rousselle, C.; Roldan, A.; Valera-Medina, A. (2021). "Future Trends" (PDF). Techno-Economic Challenges of Green Ammonia as an Energy Vector. pp. 303–319. doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-820560-0.00013-8. ISBN 978-0-12-820560-0. S2CID 243358894.
  3. ↑ Leghari, Shah Jahan; Wahocho, Niaz Ahmed; Laghari, Ghulam Mustafa; HafeezLaghari, Abdul; MustafaBhabhan, Ghulam; HussainTalpur, Khalid; Bhutto, Tofique Ahmed; Wahocho, Safdar Ali; Lashari, Ayaz Ahmed (September 2016). "Role of nitrogen for plant growth and development: a review". Advances in Environmental Biology. 10 (9): 209–219. Gale A472372583.
  4. ↑ Pan, Baobao; Lam, Shu Kee; Mosier, Arvin; Luo, Yiqi; Chen, Deli (September 2016). "Ammonia volatilization from synthetic fertilizers and its mitigation strategies: A global synthesis". Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment. 232: 283–289. doi:10.1016/j.agee.2016.08.019.
  5. 1 2 3 Kamar Zaman, Amira Maisarah; Yaacob, Jamilah Syafawati (February 2022). "Exploring the potential of vermicompost as a sustainable strategy in circular economy: improving plants' bioactive properties and boosting agricultural yield and quality". Environmental Science and Pollution Research. 29 (9): 12948–12964. doi:10.1007/s11356-021-18006-z. PMID 35034296. S2CID 245964187. ProQuest 2624034966.
  6. ↑ al-Saleh, I. A. (1994). "Pesticides: a review article". Journal of Environmental Pathology, Toxicology and Oncology. 13 (3): 151–161. PMID 7722882. INIST 3483983.
  7. ↑ "Pesticides (chemicals used for killing pests, such as rodents, insects, or plants)". Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.
  8. ↑ Aktar, Wasim; Sengupta, Dwaipayan; Chowdhury, Ashim (March 2009). "Impact of pesticides use in agriculture: their benefits and hazards". Interdisciplinary Toxicology. 2 (1): 1–12. doi:10.2478/v10102-009-0001-7. PMC 2984095. PMID 21217838.
  9. ↑ Bomgardner, Melody; Erickson, Britt (13 January 2020). "Food brands and retailers will scrutinize pesticides". C&EN Global Enterprise. 98 (2): 33. doi:10.1021/cen-09802-cover8.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 Bawa, A. S.; Anilakumar, K. R. (December 2013). "Genetically modified foods: safety, risks and public concerns—a review". Journal of Food Science and Technology. 50 (6): 1035–1046. doi:10.1007/s13197-012-0899-1. PMC 3791249. PMID 24426015.
  11. ↑ Meadows-Smith, Marcus; Meadows-Smith, Holly (3 July 2017). "Perspectives: Chemistry seeks its new level in agtech". C&EN Global Enterprise. 95 (27): 22–23. doi:10.1021/cen-09527-scitech2.
  12. ↑ Erickson, Britt (18 July 2016). "House clears GMO food labeling bill". C&EN Global Enterprise. 94 (29): 16. doi:10.1021/cen-09429-notw11.
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