Primary Classification by Target Pest Organisms
Selecting the appropriate pesticide requires identifying whether the crop damage is caused by insect feeding, fungal spores, competing weeds, or microbial pathogens.
Applying the correct chemical class prevents collateral damage and unnecessary production expenditure.
- Insecticides: Formulations designed to control destructive insect pests (e.g., organophosphates, pyrethroids, neonicotinoids, diamides).
- Fungicides: Protectant and systemic agents that suppress pathogenic fungi causing blights, mildews, and rusts (e.g., dithiocarbamates, triazoles, strobilurins).
- Herbicides / Weedicides: Selective or non-selective chemicals that eradicate competing weed flora in cropped or non-cropped lands.
- Rodenticides: Baits and formulations that manage rodent infestations in storage godowns and crop bunds (e.g., bromadiolone, zinc phosphide).
- Bio-pesticides: Microbial agents derived from natural sources (e.g., Bacillus thuringiensis, Trichoderma viride, neem oil).
Classification by Mode of Action and Entry
Pesticides differ fundamentally in how they enter the pest organism and how they move through the plant vascular system.
Rotating modes of action is the cornerstone of responsible integrated pest management (IPM).
- Systemic pesticides: Absorbed by roots or foliage and translocated through plant xylem or phloem tissues to protect growing tips.
- Contact pesticides: Exert toxic action only where spray droplets directly hit the pest surface or plant cuticle.
- Stomach poisons: Ingested by chewing or biting insect pests along with treated leaf or fruit tissues.
- Fumigants: Deliver gaseous vapor action that penetrates enclosed grain storage bins or soil burrows.
Official source
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Central Insecticides Board & Registration Committee ↗Related on KisanPe
Common questions
What are the major groups of pesticides used in agriculture?
The primary groups include insecticides, fungicides, herbicides (weedicides), rodenticides, nematicides, and botanical bio-pesticides.
What is the difference between systemic and contact pesticides?
Systemic pesticides travel internally through plant vascular channels, while contact pesticides act only where spray drops physically touch the pest.
Why is pesticide rotation essential in farming?
Rotating chemical classes with different modes of action prevents insects, fungi, and weeds from developing genetic resistance.
General guidance, not personal advice. For your farm, ask your local Krishi Vigyan Kendra or agriculture officer.
More Crop Protection & Pesticides guides
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