By Michael Ashby

According to psychologist Abraham Maslow, there are seven basic or biological needs for human living. They are air, food, drink, shelter, warmth, sex and sleep. These are the strongest needs which human search for satisfaction. Leaving the nature provided element air, food is the first thing that comes very first position in the list of basic needs. We cannot be sure on the matter food-reliance unless we produce it. So indirectly we can say agriculture is among our basic needs. As we can’t live without food, so the matter of agriculture should be kept under the matter of prior interest.

Almost in all countries agriculture is supposed to be the main pillar of development. It is considered as the main factor of a country’s GDP growth. In today’s development model both agriculture and industry are gaining increasing attention. If we like to take them side by side we need to think on the matter closely. First and foremost thing which comes to us is that we can’t do industrialization and industrial development unless we acquire land. So when we are giving emphasis on industry, we are hampering our agriculture. So the question eventually comes to us what is the way to get rid of this problem. What is the key by which we can keep a balance between agriculture and industrialization? As they are inversely proportional to each other, it is tough enough to run them hand in hand.

But there is one way out to settle the matter. It is nothing but increasing the production rate. To be more precise, if we can increase the production then we will be able to maintain both industry and agriculture. In spite of acquiring lands if we are able to keep the total production same then there is no problem. Then the question automatically comes how. It is easy; just concentrate on high yielding seeds and some methods to help them grow well and nourish them properly. To grow them well, nourish them and prevent them from insects and pest, you need some agrochemical products.

So a massive growth in agrochemical industries has been found for last few decades. They have introduced many agrochemical products like pesticides, herbicides, fungicides and insecticides and doing the same day after day. These pesticides and insecticides not only help to prevent the crops form worms, insects and pests, but also help to enhance and boost the qualities. Nicosulfuron is the name, belongs to sulfonylurea herbicides family, which really helps in farming and saves the crops from harmful insects and pests.

By Russell Riggs

All farming was originally “organic” – until the discovery of superphosphates in the mid-1700s. During World War I, the need for increased production saw the introduction of cheap ammonia-based fertilizers, and chemical pesticides were introduced in the 1940s, by which time the “organic movement” had already started.

Organic farming involves crop rotation, including leaving land fallow to regenerate for at least one growing season, and the use of natural fertilizers and pesticides.

The National Organic Program (NOP) contains regulations aimed to protect the public when purchasing organic products and within these regulations are three main areas, agricultural operations, production standards, and crop and livestock criteria.

If any operation wishes to sell any product as being organic, all manufacturers, packers and handling operations must be certified by an agent that these processes are carried out using materials set out in the National List of Allowed Synthetic and Prohibited Non-Synthetic Substances.

These standards require all aspects of organic handling, production and packaging comply with the Organic Foods Production Act.

To apply for certification for crops, a grower must use neither prohibited fertilizers nor pesticides on the land three years prior to planting. Crop nutrition must be managed by use of certain allowed synthetic products and by organic cultivation methods, which will include crop and animal waste products.

These regulations also apply to any animals raised for meat or milk and poultry used for meat and eggs. No animal can be fed hormones or antibiotics ever but vaccines are allowed to prevent disease. For meat to be certified organic, ruminant animals must have access to grazing and be allowed to live outside, unless certain conditions prohibit it temporarily.

At the processing stage of organic farming, all additional ingredients must be contained in the National List of Allowed Synthetic and Prohibited Non-Synthetic Substances, and care must be taken to prevent organic and non-organic substances from being mixed together.

The reduction of hormones used in the raising of animals may lead to a reduction in human illness, but in the case of chickens used for egg production, it would be impossible for all chickens to be free-range. If organic farming was to be applied to all poultry in the United States, and area would be needed roughly the size of Texas!

With the growing number of mystery illnesses in children, and the increasing amount of cancers in the population, one can only assume that the old saying “you are what you eat” may be true