The Importance of Chemical to the Farmers in Barangay Quiazan Lopez, Batad, Iloilo

Quiazan Lopez is a barangay of the Philippine municipality of Batad in the province Iloilo in Western Visayas which is part of the Visayas group of islands. Quiazan Lopez is one of the barangays which are in the outlying area of Municipality of Batad. The municipality Batad with a population of about 18,298 and its 24 barangays belong to the partly urban areas in the Philippines. While some of the barangays developed modern urban structures, some others, especially those which are seated in the outlying areas, remained rural. In that outlying area in Batad, Quiazan Lopez is included for its old way of living and not that modernize as well.

They had a low population and farming is the main source of income. Almost of the residents there is much concern on farming and as well as that they wanted what the best for their crops. The main crops there are rice, corn, vegetables and different kinds of root crops. The farming is the oldest way of living of the people in the provinces. And farming is growing crops or keeping animals by people for food and raw materials, the one who take good care of it is called a Farmer. The farmers usually sow rice, corn and root corps in their field while the others are breeding animals of different kind. Mostly of the farmers there are using inorganic substance in their crops. Such as chemicals, which is chemicals are crop protection products or agents used to control plants or weeds, diseases, insects or animals that are undesirable or harmful to man, and/or also to promote the growth and development of crops.

BODY:
As time goes by the way of farming also change, from its simplest way of farming through such a modernize farming nowadays. Many investors develop modern equipments and inorganic substances for farming. Inorganic way of farming is with the use of chemicals and pesticide in their farm.

The cultivation of these crops and vegetables is also accompanied by the application of chemicals. Farmers on are increasingly relying on inorganic agriculture mainly because, the soils are poor, and indigenous crop varieties have almost been replaced by improved high yielding varieties which are heavy nutrient miners. Most of the crops cultivated are short duration crops, among which are vegetables that are most frequently grown in season when farming is limited to few areas surrounding water bodies. The crops are also quite susceptible to many insect species, which may not only feed but also reproduce on them. So the farmer seems to have no choice but to treat crops and protect them against insect species and diseases using chemicals.

Chemical fertilizer, inorganic fertilizers supply nutrients to soil in different ways work much more quickly and inorganic fertilizers supplement the soil and feed plants with nutrients. Inorganic fertilizers contain a higher percentage of nutrients and provide them more quickly than organic fertilizers. This is a benefit for plants with a short life span, such as bedding plants, but the concentrated form increases the risk of burning the plant if applied incorrectly, and the quick-release of nutrients may result in soil leaching. When available, fertilizer use is not overly labor intensive, thus allowing time for other tasks (or for earning income elsewhere).

When the famers are using chemical it work immediately because inorganic fertilizers are usually given as a “rescue treatment” to plants that are malnourished, unhealthy or even dying. Inorganic fertilizers are appropriate in this situation because the nutrients needed by the plants are readily available. In comparison, using an organic fertilizer would mean that the plant has to wait until the components of the organic fertilizer have been broken down first into its primary nutrients. By then, the plant could be dead already.

And the famers don’t have worry because inorganic fertilizers are designed to give plants all the nutrients-Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Potassium that they need in appropriate proportions and amounts. Hence, plants do not get more of one can of nutrient over the other. Instead it has a balance of all the nutrients it needs and are readily available at a given time. Adding inorganic fertilizers into the soil to be planted makes the soil ideal for planting as it is already enriched with nutrients. And the famers no need to spend much on buying an inorganic fertilizer because it is relatively cheap.

Of course, it is not as cost-effective when compared to using compost. Yet, for the convenience that it gives you when it comes to caring for your plants, an inorganic fertilizer is a very good deal already. And when farmer are using pesticides it was an economical way of controlling pests. They require low labor input and allow large areas to be treated quickly and effectively. It has been estimated that there is a four-fold return on every dollar a farmer spends on pesticides. Flexibility: A suitable pesticide is available for almost all pest problems with variation in type, activity and persistence. Quality, quantity and price of produce: Using pesticides means there is a plentiful supply and variety of high quality products at reasonable prices. Modern society demands nutritious food free from damage caused by pests and flowers which look untouched. This would be very difficult without pesticides.

Prevention of problem: Pesticides are often used to stop the spread of pests in imports and exports, preventing weeds in gardens and protecting house and furniture from destruction. Protection of pets and humans: Under the blanket of pesticides is pet flea products, fly and insect spray and other household products which make life bearable. Protection of the environment: Currently, weeds are controlled by herbicides, but without them, land would need to be cultivated, increasing land degradation.

Advantages of using Chemical:

One of the major advantages of this farming technique is that the crop yield is high. It helps the farmer to easily supervise and monitor the land and protect his livestock from being hurt or hounded by dangerous wild animals. With the introduction of intensive farming, farm produce, such as vegetables, fruits, and poultry products have become less expensive. It also aids in solving the worldwide hunger problems to a great extent. This means that common people can now afford a balanced and nutritious diet. Many opine that organic food can be afforded only by the elite strata of the society. Apart from that, large farming spaces are required to cultivate organic crops using natural manure. However, with the introduction of intensive farming, the space, equipment, and other requirements for farming are less and more economical. The EPA (Environment Protection Agency) has set certain rules and regulations on how livestock, pesticides, and animal manure are to be maintained. The farmers, who follow these set rule help to provide an affordable, safe, and healthy produce to all alike. Another advantage is that large productivity of food is possible with less amount of land. This leads to economies of scale and directly contributes towards meeting the ever-growing demand for food supplies.

Disadvantage of using chemical:

Farming involves the use of various kinds of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and insecticides. Apart from this, it is also associated with farms that keep livestock above their holding capacity, which in turn leads to pollution, various diseases, and infections brought about by overcrowding and poor hygiene. Reports and studies reveal that intensive farming affects and alters the environment in multiple ways. Forests are destroyed to create large open fields, and this could lead to soil erosion. It affects the natural habitat of wild animals. Use of chemical fertilizers contaminates soil and water bodies, such as lakes and rivers. Pesticides sprayed on crops not only destroy pests and contaminate the crops, but also kill beneficial insects.

Heavy use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers also affects the workers (who spray the pesticides) and the people residing nearby. Eventually, these chemicals are passed on to human beings, who consume the agricultural produce. Fruits and vegetables purchased from farms that promote intensive farming are covered with invisible pesticides. These cannot be washed off easily.

Exceeding the use of pesticides affects the health of human beings severely, leading to skin allergy, physical deformity, and congenital disease. Statistics show a direct relation between the consumption of food procured from intensive farming sites and an increase in the number of cancer patients and children born with defects. Researchers opine that consumption of inorganic poisonous vegetables, fruits, poultry, and meat could probably be one of the reasons for causing such damage in the human body. There are many hybrid varieties of livestock, plants, and poultry available today. The livestock and poultry are injected with hormones and other chemicals to increase the yield. There are many chemicals on the farm and some of them can be dangerous. Common agricultural chemicals include fuels, pesticides, herbicides, fungicides and veterinary chemicals. Exposure to chemicals can lead to health effects including headache, poisoning, respiratory illness, burns, cancers and birth defects. Always follow the manufacturers’ instructions for storage, transport, use and disposal of chemicals. Keep all chemicals locked away and out of reach of children and wear appropriate protective gear.

RECOMMENDATION:

The chemical farming culture has to change into a sustainable system – a system which can be carried on without any threat to our soils, plant and animal communities and excessive drain on our energy and material resources. Maintain a healthy soil community which can automatically regenerate soil fertility by providing organic manures, increasing fallow periods, avoiding excessive use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Infuse bio-diversity in intensive farming by sowing mixed crops, crop rotation etc, and Intensify wide spread farming education in the rural farmers.

And the farmer must try some alternatives such as Organic Farming: We are all well-accustomed to this concept of farming. It produces good quality food without using any chemical fertilizer or pesticides, helps reduce diseases, and lowers the environmental impact. Hydroponics: In this method, plants are grown not in the soil but in water containing dissolved nutrients in greenhouses. This technique eradicates diseases caused by soil organisms but the plant needs constant support, supervision, and is grown in areas where there’s no soil. Biological Control: Using a predator intentionally to fix the pest population size is known as biological control.

REFERENCES:

* http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Farm_safety_handling_chemicals * http://www.scientificjournals.org/journals2012/articles/1529.pdf * http://sciencenetlinks.com/science-news/science-updates/farmers-pesticides/ * http://www.buzzle.com/articles/advantages-and-disadvantages-for-intensive-farming.htm * http://www.iaabd.org/2009_iaabd_proceedings/track3a.pdf