AGRICHEMICAL INDUSTRIES

Francisco, Jayvee D.
ChE-3301
19th Century- the mechanical revolution in farming began ad production increased
as the areas used to
support farm animals could be turned to other purposes.
1940-1960- farm production increased 54%, although the area farmed actually
decreased
1980s- the effect of the chemicals on the environment has also become a major
concern of both
industry and farmers.
PESTICIDES
Use of pesticide is the most important step in the conservation of our resources and
in increasing the
productivity of our soil.
SAFETY REGULATIONS
1940- the use of chemicals was limited to about 50 compounds
SPECIFIC REGULATORY LEGISLATION
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The Meat Inspection Act of 1946 as amended

Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act of 1938
Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946
Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act of 1947
Poultry Productions Inspection Act of 1957
Public Law 86-139 of 1959
Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), Public Law 92-516
of 1972 and its amendments, Public Law 94-140 of 1975 and Public Law 95396 of 1978
EPA- Environmental Protection Agency of which registration for all pesticides is now
required
INSECTICIDES-are agents for destroying insects are generally classified by their
mode of action:

1. Stomach Poisons-lethal to insects which ingest them

2. Contact Insecticides- Kill insects by simple body contact
3. Fumigants- act on insects respiratory system
Most insecticides are applied as sprays, dust or gas
Systemics- applied to both animals and plants, which make them toxic to
insects, particularly to sucking ones, which have been especially hard to kill.
Genetic Control- another approach of application; uses hormones that cause
abnormalities to develop, ultimately causing the death of the insects.
Integrated Pest Management Program (IPM)-controls the problem of natural
predators and natural diseases by using minimum of pesticide.

HISTORY
Middle of 19th century- effective poisons began to appear: Paris Green , lead
arsenate, calcium arsenate, sulfur compounds and Bordeaux mixture

SULFUR &SULFUR COMPOUNDs- chiefly used as fungicides; checking mildew in fruit

trees; must be
finely divided to be effective (325 mesh or finer) and to achieve such fineness,
milling, emulsifying
molten sulfur, heating mixtures of sulfur and bentonite and using flotation sulfur
from Claus process.
LIME SULFUR-calcium polysulfides ; used for the control
diseases of fruit trees and

of scale insects and

an effective fungicide for dormant use but is toxic to plant foliage and russets fruit;
prepared by adding water to a dry mixture of quicklime and sulfur or boiling a
mixture of hydrated lime and sulfur.
HYDROCYANIC ACID- most widely used fumigant; used inside plastic tents for
treating citrus trees and
highly effective in glass house; generated by acidifying NaCN.
OTHER FUMIGANTS:

Carbon disulfide
Methyl bromide
Ethylene oxide
Acrylonitrile
Chloropicrin

 Ethylene dichloride
Ethylene dibromide
PYRETHRINS- toxic, nonnitrogenous organic esters of chrysanthemic acid in the
flower of pyrethrum
plant, a type of chrysanthemum. The plant is cultivated in Kenya, Japan, Congo &
Brazil
SYNERGISTS/ACTIVATORSdisproportionately and is

substance which increases the effect of another

commonly employed with pyrethrins. Example: piperonyl

NICOTINE-volatile alkaloid obtained by treating tobacco waste with aqueous alkali
followed by steam
distillation. The solutions are effective to aphids, thrips and leafhoppers and can
also be used as
fumigants.
ROTENONE- toxic principle of several tropical and subtropical plants, the chief of
which is DERRIS. It is a complex organic heterocyclic compound, C 22H22O6. Its
compounds are stomach and contact poisons but are not harmful to mammals.
SYNTHETIC ORGANICS
1940- combined output of synthetic organic insecticides was only a few million
kilograms per year.
1981- totl value product shipments was $4750 million and sales were divided as
follows: 63% herbicides, 28% insecticides and 9% fungicides.
1982-annual production of organophosphorus insecticides alone was 50x10 6kg.
DDT(dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane)-first chemical to have enough residual action
to be useful.Its use
in malaria control has saved at least 5 million lives and 100 million illnesses. It is
still widely used in US to control malaria, yellow fever amd typhus- bearing
mosquitoes
CARBOPHOS- Generic Name:Malathion (o.o- dimethyl phosphorodithioate of diethyl
mercaptosuccinate).
It is very popular, short lived broad spectrum insecticide for application to nearly all
fruits, vegetables,
dairy livestock, field crops and household insects.It has low mammalian toxicity.

CARBARYL- also known as Sevin( 1-naphthyl methyl carbamate); it is one of he carbamate insecticides
which is particularly valuable for home use; has broad spectrum, low mammalian toxicity and can destroy
rapidly.
p-DICHLOROBENZENE- used as moth repellant and space deodorant
DIMETHOATE- called Cygon (o,o- dimethyl. S-[(methylcarbonyl)methyl] phosphorodithioate) is a
systemic insecticide.
METHIOCARB- called Mesurol [4-(methylthio)-3,5-xylylmethyl carbamate] is effective against slugs
and used as bird repellent for some fruits and berries.
DICHLOROVOS- also called Vapona (2,2-dichlorovinyl dimethyl phosphate) has a unique method of
application. It is used to kill flies by dispersions in polyvinyl chloride and also used to kill intestinal
worms in animals.
ATTRACTANTS AND REPELLENTS
SEX ATTRACTANTS (pheromones)- expected to aid in the control against pests e.g. gypsy moth sex
pheromones (cis-7,8-epoxy-2-methyloctadecane).
DIETHYLTOLUAMIDE- an all-purpose insect repellent applied directly to human skin and is sold as
liquid, foam and sparay under the trade name of "OFF".
OTHER BIOLOGICAL AGENTS:
1. THURICIDE- causes disease on cabbage and lettuce worms.
2. METHOPRENE- prevents maturity and kills mosquitoes and flies
FUMIGANTS- chemicals that emmits poisonous vapors.Some of these compounds used to control soil
infesting insects include:
1. CHLOROPICRIN- highly irritating
2. CARBON DISULFIDE- now seldom used becauae of fire hazard
3. METHYL BROMIDE- has application problems
4. ETHYLENE DIBROMIDE- controls wireworms
NEMATACIDES- soil fumigants agaimat nematodes
ACARICIDES (miticides)- chemicals for mite contol. These include Kelthane, Tertradifon,Morocide and
Torak.

RODENTICIDES- used to control rodents including mice, rats, groundhogs, squirrels and field rodents.
These includes:
1. Warfarin, 3-(a-acetonylbenzyl)-4-hydroxycoumarin - sales leader
2. Sodium monofluoroacetate- deadly to everything including humans
3. Zinc phosphide (Zn3P2)
4. Thallium sulfate
5. Strychnine and red squill- botanical rodenticides
6. Vacor( N-3-pyridylmethyl-N'-p-nitrophenylurea)- new rodenticide which is comparatively harmless to
humans
7. Epibloc (a-chlorohydrin)- chemosterilant which produces lesions in male rats.
FUNGICIDES- active against fungi, parasitic plants comprising molds, mildews, rusts, root and stem
rots, smuts, mushrooms and allied forms capable of destroying higher plants, fabrics and some plastics,
thus
depriving humans of valuable food and materials. They are classified into two:

1.Inorganic fungicides
2. Organic fungicides
a.Formalin- first successful organic fungicide, and is employed as fumigant for seeds, soil and
greenhouses.
b. Dithiocarbamates-made by reacting carbon disulfide with amine to form dithiocarbamic acid which
is reacted to alkali metal hydroxide to give a stable salt. Examples are:
1. Sodium salt of ethylene bisdithiocarbamate- used to combat vegetable blights, usually potato and
tomato
2. Ferbam( ferric dimethylthiocarbamate)- effective against apple rust.
3. Ziram (zinc dimethylthiocarbamate) and Maneb ( manganese ethylynebisdithiocarbamate)control fruit rotting and vegetable leaf diseases.
INDUSTRIAL BIOCIDES- products which kill or control microorganisms- bacteria, algae, slime molds,
fungi and viruses and is most commonly used as wood presevatives. Example is Tektamer (1,2-dibromo2,4- dicyanobutane) which is a component of paints.

Coal-tar creosote- standard substance for wood preservation; it is effective, permanent and inexpensive
but sticky, has penetrating odor and iparts dark stains on wood which cannot further be painted.
PLANT GROWTH MODIFIERS- include chemicals designed to alter and regulate growth habit of plants
and disturb their normal development that the plants are destroyed.
GROWTH REGULATORS- used to improve yields, increase or decrease seed germination, cause early
or late maturation of plants, improve quality, accelerate ripening of fruits and grains, halt undesirable
flowering, produce fewet but larger fruits by thinning out blossoms, prevent preharvest fuit drop, cause
fruit
drop when desired, produce seedless fruits and contol sprouting of stored vegetables.
3-indoleacetic acid, naphthalen acetic acid and indolebutyricacid are the first substances to become
commercially important. They stimulate root growth, inhibit preharvest fruit drop of apples and can cause
fruit int he absence of pollinator insects.
Ethepon (2-chloroethyl phosphonic acid)- induces flowering in pineapples.
Alar ( succinic acid-2,2-dimethyl hydrazine)- controling floral production in fruit trees.
PLANT HORMONES- substances that can alter crop responses such as ripening time, resistance to
drought, cold and disease or the length of growing/ bearing season. These substances regulate the intricate
chemical reactions that cause a palnt to utilize its nutriments.
Gibberellin- can induce flowering in many plants at desired times, induce branching and dwarfing of
plants.
Cycocel ( 2-chloroethyl trimethyl ammonium chloride) - reduce stem length in cereal grains
Phosphon (2,4- dichlorotributylphosphonium chloride)- causes chrysanthemums to bloom while stems are
short.
CCC [(2-chloroethyl)trimethylammonium chloride]- another dwarfing matetial which affects more
varieties of plants than phosphon

QUIZ
1. Used as moth repellent and space deodorant. (p-DICHLOROBENZENE)
2. Diethyltoluamide is an all-purpose insect repellent applied directly to human skin and is sold as liquid,
foam and spray under what trade name? (OFF)

3-4. These dithiocarbamates control fruit rotting and vegetable leaf diseases.(ZIRAM and MANEB)
5-6. Thuricide causes diseases on what specific worms? (CABBAGE and LETTUCE)
7. This poison/insecticide is lethal to insects which ingest them. (STOMACH)
8. It is the chief constituent of rotenone. (DERRIS)
9. A synthetic organic with low mammalian toxicity and is the generic name of carbophos.
(MALATHION)
10. It is the most widely used fumigant and is generated by acidifying NaCN. (HYDROCYANIC ACID)