AGRICULTURE AND

THE ENVIRONMENT
WASTE PRODUCTION IN AGRICULTURE
 WASTE PRODUCTION
• INCREASED AGRICULTURAL
PRODUCTIVITY IS ACHIEVED THROUGH
THE USE OF CERTAIN SELECTED
AGROCHEMICALS, WHICH OFTEN LEADS
TO INCREASED WASTE PRODUCTION. THE
FAILURE TO DISPOSE OF THE WASTE
PRODUCTS APPROPRIATELY RESULTS WITH
POLLUTION OF THE TERRESTRIAL AND
AQUATIC ENVIRONMENTS WHICH LEADS
TO DETRIMENTAL CONSEQUENCES.
PESTICIDE WASTE AND POLLUTION
DUE TO PESTICIDES
• PESTICIDES CAN DISSIPATE IN THE AIR AS VAPOUR, IN
WATER AS RUN-OFF OR IN SOILS BY LEACHING TO
UNDERGROUND WATER.
• IRRIGATION SYSTEMS IN AGRICULTURE USUALLY
INVOLVE MODIFICATION OF THE HYDROLOGICAL
REGIME, CREATING HABITATS THAT BECOME THE
BREEDING GROUNDS OF INSECTS SUCH AS MOSQUITOES,
WHICH ARE THE CAUSE OF NUMEROUS VECTOR BORNE
DISEASES.
• IN ADDITION TO PESTICIDES, CONTROL OF VECTOR
BORNE DISEASES REQUIRE THE APPLICATION OF
ADDITIONAL INSECTICIDES.
• THIS MAY RESULT IN MASS ECOLOGICAL CONSEQUENCES.
 PESTICIDE WASTE AND
POLLUTION DUE TO
PESTICIDES
• POLLUTED WASTE WATER CAN BE HARMFUL
TO NON-TARGET SPECIES. THE RESIDUES CAN
POISON AQUATIC SPECIES AND HENCE
INCREASING THEIR MORTALITY. THE
RELEASED RESIDUES CAN ALSO BIO
ACCUMULATE AND BIOMAGNIFY, WITH
POTENTIAL LONG-TERM HARMFUL EFFECTS
ON HUMANS AND OTHER SPECIES.
 NITROGEN BASED
FERTILIZER AS WASTE
• NITROGEN-BASED FERTILIZER HAS BEEN A
MAJOR FACTOR DRIVING THE
INDUSTRIALIZATION OF AGRICULTURE IN THE
PAST CENTURY, ALLOWING HIGH YIELDS
EVEN ON OVERTAXED LAND. BUT FERTILIZER
HAS SERIOUS DOWNSIDES FOR OUR WATER
SUPPLIES AND CLIMATE.
 NITROGEN BASED
FERTILIZER AS WASTE
• AMMONIA CONTAMINATED RUNOFF FROM FRESH
MANURE APPLICATION SITES IS EXTREMELY
TOXIC TO AQUATIC LIFE. THIS USUALLY RESULTS
WITH THE DEATH OF AQUATIC
ORGANISMS(FISHES), SINCE THEY ARE
RELATIVELY SENSITIVE TO EVEN
CONCENTRATIONS OF 0.02 PARTS PER MILLION
(PPM) OF AMMONIA IN WATER .
POLLUTION DUE TO NITROGEN
BASED FERTILIZER
• WHEN EXCESS NITROGEN MAKES ITS WAY INTO
THE ATMOSPHERE (AS IT OFTEN DOES WHEN
FERTILIZER IS APPLIED AT HIGH VOLUMES), IT
CAN BECOME NITROUS OXIDE, A POTENT
GREENHOUSE GAS, OR NITROGEN OXIDE, WHICH
CONTRIBUTES TO GROUND-LEVEL SMOG.
A CROP DUSTER SPRAYS FERTILIZER
OVER A LARGE CROP FIELD.
 NITROGEN RUN-
OFF
• RUNOFF OCCURS WHEN NUTRIENT-RICH
MATERIAL LIKE FERTILIZER OR MANURE,
LOADED WITH NITROGEN AND PHOSPHOROUS,
MAKES ITS WAY INTO NEARBY RIVERS, OCEANS,
AND LAKES, WREAKING HAVOC ON OUR
FRESHWATER AND MARINE ECOSYSTEMS.
• EUTROPHICATION IS A RESULT OF RUNOFF.
 EUTROPHICATION
• THIS IS AN INCREASE IN NUTRIENTS IN AQUATIC
ENVIRONMENTS WHICH PROMOTES INCREASED
ALGAL GROWTH IN AQUATIC SYSTEMS. THE LARGE
NUMBERS OF ALGAE THEN DEPLETE OXYGEN IN THE
WATER. THIS CAN ULTIMATELY REDUCE THE
AVAILABLE OXYGEN FOR AQUATIC ORGANISMS,
THUS RESULTING IN THEIR DEATHS AND THE
FURTHER DETERIORATION OF THE WATER QUALITY.
WHY PRACTICE GOOD
WASTE MANAGEMENT ON
FARMS?
APPROPRIATE WASTE MANAGEMENT ON FARMS
CAN BENEFIT AGRICULTURAL OPERATIONS BY
PREVENTING OR REDUCING:
• POLLUTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT
• NEGATIVE IMPACTS OF BIODIVERSITY
• CONTAMINATION OF LAND AND WATER RESOURCES
• BREEDING SITES FOR PESTS, VECTORS AND
DISEASE CAUSING ORGANISMS
• CONTAMINATION OF PRODUCE
THE END.