User:Floresjf1/Crop Protection

INTRODUCTION
Crop protection is the practice of managing pests, weeds, plant diseases, and environmental stressors that pose threats to the production of food for human consumption (Oerke, E., and Dehne, H., 1997). The protection of crops can be applied to any production setting whether it be for personal or commercial purposes, however, on a large scale you would expect to see commercial agriculture. Commercial agriculture is the cultivation of crops with the intention of distribution through sales. Crop protection is essential to the global food supply as this means the production of crops has to be sustained. Agricultural biotechnology research continually introduces new and effective methods of suppressing plant disease, weeds, and pests. In both organic and conventional farming, plant breeding has been seen as a viable option to gain resistance to both biotic and abiotic stresses that negatively impact yield. The trajectory of modern agriculture has led to high indispensable usage of agrochemical crop protection in order to conserve resources and improve both yield and quality (Stetter, J. and Lieb, F., 2000). Now, measures are being taken to revert these practices as organic solutions leave a minor carbon footprint as opposed to conventional farming where chemicals are widely used. There are both traditional and modern uses of crop protection, the selection of preference is up to the farmer or grower. Crop protection methods could be inexpensive and likely fall under traditional methods such as tilling, crop rotation, field monitoring, and the minor use of pesticides when absolutely needed. However, modern crop protection would mainly consist of fertilizers, pesticides, and growth stimulants that with time or rates of application come to be quite expensive. Therefore, crop protection strategies could be utilized to any extent, and innovative ways exist to create new strategies.

AGROCHEMICALS
Since the Green Revolution, crop production increased due to the implementation of agrochemicals such as pesticides, chemical fertilizers, and genetically modified crops. There were short-term benefits from the usage of agrochemicals like weed suppression and reduced labor costs, but after extensive use plants were intoxicated by overwhelming chemical pollutants found in the soil, water, and atmosphere (Hasanuzzaman, M., et. al 2020). The dangers agrochemicals pose are that as they are increasingly used, they are seeping into the bodies of water and land resulting in groundwater contamination, beneficial soil microbe decline, and impacting non-target organisms like fish, birds, and wildlife (Aktar et. al, 2009). Agrochemicals could be avoided and are not necessary to crop protection. However, for commercial farming the application of agrochemicals have helped with achieving high yields. Crop protection is often thought to be practiced in a field setting.

On the other hand, when these commodities are being processed, packed, washed, and shipped, there are small amounts of agrochemicals such as fungicides sprayed to increase product shelf-life. Due to the widespread use of these agrochemicals, federal governments like the United States advocate that safer formulates are developed so that the residues from pesticides do not linger on food products even after at the time of application (Knowles, A., 2008). It is best to avoid the use of any chemical when farming, and if so, it is advised to use minimal application rates for the health of the plant and consumer. There are residual effects from the accumulated use of agrochemicals that linger in the soil, water, and air. Although there are organic agrochemicals as alternatives, many active ingredients are still to be avoided.

BIOTECHNOLOGY-Plant breeding and GMO
The use of biotechnology has been used in agriculture to promote the decline in food loss and combat weeds. This is conducted through technologies like clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) to genetically modify plant function to acquire traits like resistance to plant pathogens, drought tolerance, and enhanced yield (Zaidi, S., et al, 2020). When using a technology like CRISPR commodities may be labeled as a GMO, a genetically modified organism. There has been controversy since the emergence of this practice and highlighted the concern of potential health risks. However, according to the Food and Drug Administration GMOs are just as healthy and indifferent to non-GMO foods while some actually contain increased nutritional value (FDA.gov, 2022). Opposed to using technology like CRISPR, traditional plant breeding techniques such as sexual-cross breeding could be used to acquire disease, pest, or any desirable trait (Batalha, L., 2020). Sexual-cross breeding is an extensive and time-consuming process, but it can be highly beneficial when executed. Traditional plant breeding strategies aid in crop protection because like GMO crops they can be resistant to disease, pests, and local environments as they become acclimated. Therefore, a number of viable alternatives are at hand depending on what a farmer chooses to ensure the protection of their crops. Biotechnology or traditional practices could achieve a higher standard of crop protection depending on the financial status or agenda when producing fresh foods.

TRADITIONAL CROP PROTECTION STRATEGIES
In farming, a handful of traditional crop protection practices continue to show promise and are widespread in agriculture. One of the more popular practices is tillage of the soil utilizing a variety of techniques for small or large-scale purposes. By tilling the soil, a farmer promotes aeration, allowing for better seed germination, more moisture, weed suppression, root growth, and the integration of fertilizer in the soil (Oregon State University, 2022). Mechanical tools such as a tractor with the proper implements could be used to till the soil at a higher volume, but when tilling on a smaller scale a shovel, hoe, fork, etc. can be used to break up and aerate the soil. In addition, the practice of crop rotation is great to go hand-in-hand with tilling. For every season or cycle with a particular crop, it is important to have a diverse rotation of commodities. The benefits consist of providing a healthier beneficial microbe population, efficient nitrogen use with crop residues, reduced disease pressure, and better soil structure. A grower could benefit significantly by growing a diverse range of crops. For example, when harvesting lettuce, the heads are taken, and the foliar residues could be left in the field to decompose and supply carbon and nitrogen for a subsequent crop. The following also give microbes a great food supply and an array of nutrients to break down and provide to the soil. Lastly, field monitoring is another excellent crop protection strategy that makes a tremendous difference. Regularly surveying a field by foot or through a management system could pose benefits in detecting disease, crop quality, fertilizer application, or weather conditions. Establishing a field monitoring schedule is an excellent practice in crop protection which could set a fertilizer, pesticide, or irrigation agenda.