Plant Protection is considered to be an agricultural science branch which is said to
devise ways and means towards controlling pests, diseases, weeds of trees and
crops and also acts as set of measures that are used in forestry and
agriculture for preventing and eliminating damage caused to plants by those
harmful organisms.
Objective
The very objective of protection of
plants is not just to eliminate harmful organisms or to limit their activities,
but also to try forecast time they appear, including possible extent by which
they could spread. Moreover, it also helps to avoid harmful organisms from
trying to move from some regions and countries to that of others. Protection of
plant is said to be based upon data which is obtained by numerous agronomic
(plant growing, agriculture, agricultural chemistry, selection, agricultural
plant pathology, agricultural physics as well as entomology), botanical
(principally anatomy, taxonomy, morphology, animal and plant geography,
ecology) and zoological disciplines, ,biochemistry, genetics, animal and plant
biochemistry, physics and chemistry that offers scientific basis of biophysical
and chemical control procedures, toxicology and hygiene that study indirect and
direct pesticides effect on animals and plants.
Damages
caused
Each year, damage that is done by
diseases and pests to crops according to researches estimates about 20% to 25%
of potential yield of food crops across the globe. It is because of this that
protection of plant tends to play a very important role to increase agricultural
crop production and to protect them.
Protection
of plants and its history
During ancient times, pests and
diseases caused great harm to plants. For instance, references have been given
in Egyptian frescoes and Assyrian cuneiform inscriptions about desert locusts
causing mammoth devastations on plants. Ancient Roman and Greek writers had
described smuts, rusts, tree cancers along with other diseases to be the
manifestation of wrath of God. It was as early as 18th century that attempts
had been made towards classifying plant diseases. There were plenty of
experiments carried out by popular researchers and scientists for taking care
of plant diseases. Over time, methods to control harmful organisms had been
improved and presently, such procedures are within easy reach of the common man
and can be availed without much effort and at an affordable rate.
However, it has been noticed that there
has been increasing awareness among people in regards to the existence of harsh
chemicals and to avoid it and make way towards using organic substances that
are very much safe for the environment and for everyone concerned.
0 comments:
Post a Comment