COVID-19 Impact on Agricultural Disinfectantin Agriculture and Animal Feed Industry
The Covid-19 pandemic have impacted the agricultural industry as there is disruption in global demand and supply of cereals, nuts, fruits and other agricultural products. Whereas, due to the extended lockdown food have been drastically impacted in all over world including North America and Europe. The global agriculture system has been facing major challenges during this pandemic. However, agricultural industry is likely to be impacted drastically. Agricultural disinfectant is essential component which is basically used for protection of livestock and crops. The lockdown have been created opportunity to the agricultural disinfectant as this is primarily used for protection and it is known as precaution so that viral or bacterial infection is avoided.
Agricultural disinfectants are classified into different forms such as liquid powder, granule and gel, among others. This disinfectant is used to destroy microorganism which are present on the surface of agricultural products. These are also known as agent which are chemical or heat irradiation which particularly inhibit, destroy or neutralize the growth of microorganism. As this agricultural disinfectant inhibits the growth of Bactria, virus or molds on crop, it impacts on the crop production and it maintains health of crops. Thus it is has large demand to maintain healthy of crops and thereby increased its production. Owing to this pandemic, awareness regarding preventive measure that have to take in handling of any agricultural products, any equipment’s and other agricultural related procedure has been increased. Government and other public healthcare association are providing guidelines regarding the handling of these products.
For instance,
• The western center for agricultural health and safety has provided guidelines for farm owners and operators so that essential preventive measure and protocol may inhibit the direct exposure of farm operators to the any viral infection. These guidelines are follow:
• Famers or farm operators are needed to follow protections and preventive measures so that is will help to avoid disease spread.
o Farmers must follow precautions and social distancing at every step in the processing of farm operations.
o Suitable personal safety actions need to be taken for packing and transporting of farm produce to auction platforms like market yards.
o Seed producer farmers are allowed to transport their seeds production to seed companies with supportive documents.
These guidelines are particularly provided to farmers for their daily routine. However, the pandemic have changed the preference of agricultural disinfectants with the consciousness of preventive measure for health of field crops and hence farmers are more prone towards taking care and demanding agricultural disinfectant for crop protection and their growth. The agricultural disinfectant concept has been evolved due to the destruction of harmful bacteria, virus from crop plants to inhibit its growth. Inhibiting and handling plant diseases such as mildew and root rot; this disinfectant further eliminates post-harvest losses. The treatment or disinfection of water for the rinsing or washing of salads, vegetables and fruit is not, as such, an application for agriculture or agriculture, but is included for completeness.
Although plant diseases are primarily caused by fungi, but plant epidemiology is not so much vary from humans. However, owing to this pandemic, farmers are much more aware regarding health of plant. These farmers are approaching disease management authorities and other government associations to identify and tolerate plant virus to maintain plant health.
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