Agriculture Economics

Pesticides and Fertilizers

Pesticides are substances that are meant to control pests, including weeds.The term pesticide includes all of the following: herbicide, insecticides (which may include insect growth regulators, termiticides, etc. nematicide, molluscicide, piscicide, avicide, rodenticide, bactericide, insect repellent, animal repellent, antimicrobial, and fungicide.The most common of these are herbicides which account for approximately 80% of all pesticide use. Most pesticides are intended to serve as plant protection products (also known as crop protection products), which in general, protect plants from weeds, fungi, or insects.A fertilize is any material of natural or synthetic origin (other than liming materials) that is applied to soils or to plant tissues to supply one or more plant nutrients essential to the growth of plants. Many sources of fertilizer exist, both natural and industrially produced.