Introduction: Global Challenge and Key Concepts Flashcards
Why is agrochemistry important?
Requirements for more grain and crops: rising population, and wealthier population leading to higher demands for meat. Agrochemistry is critical in being able to reach these demands by preventing pest destruction of crops.
What are the 6 key areas of grower need in rough order of importance?
Weed control, fungal control, insect control, other biotic stress, abiotic stress and yield and quality.
What is a weed?
Any undesired vegetation
What is a herbicide and why is it useful? What is the key challenge when designing herbicides?
Herbicides allow us to control weeds to improve crop yields. Less need for cultivation of crops due to reduction of weed growth leads to reduced soil erosion and water loss, improving yield.
Key challenge is selectivity of the herbicide for the weed over the crop.
What is the difference between selective and non-selective herbicides and how is this selectivity achieved?
Selective will attack specific species, and non-selective will kill all vegetation in a region. Selectivity is difficult to achieve as species are all from the same kingdom - modifications can be made to crop genes to be resistant to certain herbicides.
What is a fungicide and why is it important?
Fungi are a severe problem with huge impacts on yield and quality. Fungi outbreak poses health risk to consumers as both plants and consumers can be affected by fungal infections. Fungicides are used to kill fungi.
What types of fungicide are there?
Broad-spectrum = effective across fungal taxonomical groups and specific.
Categories: preventative, curative, eradicant and antisporulant.
What does a preventative fungicide do?
Prevents establishment of infection
What does a curative fungicide do?
Inhibits development of an asymptomatic fungal infection
What does an eradicant fungicide do?
inhibits development of a symptomatic fungal infection
What does an antisporulant fungicide do?
Prevents growth of fungi by reducing or preventing sporulation, does not impact vegetative growth.
What do insecticides do? What factors might need to be considered when using insecticides to protect crops?
Insecticides attack pests that impact crop yield and quality. Different pests will require different insecticides, and applications will vary: e.g. for sucking pests, uptake into the leaves is really important vs chewing pests, spraying at low dose on leaves should be enough. Selectivity is also required to kill insect pests and not harm beneficial insects.
What are sucking pests?
Pests that feed on sap and transmit viral infections: this can affect the whole crop.
