AgroBD: Ecological Pesticides

My proposal consists in the use of diatomaceous earth as a pesticide and / or agricultural fertilizer, which will be applied in the field through drones or any specialized machinery.

The solution I offer is to produce, through artificial crops, diatomaceous earth of the organic type, and apply it to crops using drones. Faced with the great problem of environmental imbalance and excessive use of polluting toxic agrochemicals such as glyphosate and chlorpyrifos, my solution consists in the use of an alternative insecticide such as diatomaceous earth. This soil is composed of cell walls or frustules of algae of the Bacillariophyceae class, known as diatoms, which are siliceous in nature. Being an ecological pesticide and a good fertilizer, the frustules provide nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium; fulfilling two elementary functions in agriculture at the same time! As a biology student, I have the knowledge of the remarkable properties of this type of algae employed. Thanks to the qualities and components of its cell wall, insects are eliminated through dehydration, thus being a physical action, for which it does not develop resistance or immunity from insects, as it usually happens with the chemicals used. 

Although diatomaceous earth could be directly extracted from its deposits, the main aim is to obtain this product, through cultivation and artificial drying, thus being a renewable resource, without the need to exploit and destroy the deposits. 

Faced with this great change, we would have the opportunity to stop contaminating our organisms, biodiversity and the environment, with millions of liters of toxic insecticides being used today. In Argentina we currently have a worrying production model. For the last 25 years the use of agrochemicals has increased by 1200%, even until few days ago a campaign was carried out (#bastadevenenos) in which it was requested that we urgently need a change in this production model that threatens the health of the whole population, and also greatly damages the environment, our soils and waters, which are irreplaceable, since these resources once damaged require a large amount of money investment to be purified or treated, and even have a high percentage of possibility of not being able to be recovered. In a survey by SENASA in 2019, 80 pesticides were found in fruits and vegetables, of which 49% were carcinogenic and 47% were not authorized by the European Union.  Another problem that it would solve is the aforementioned development of immunity by insects caused by the chemicals used, due to genetic laws and because of selection pressure (a genetic theory). Some of these chemicals generate great resistance so that, in just a few years, the doses of chemicals used should be increased, being even much riskier for our health and ecosystems. This not only affects our country, it happens in a large part of the Latin American countries that continue with these methodologies, meanly with chemicals as harmful as cypermethrin.

To the entire population, living beings and ecosystems. These products such as chlorinated insecticides, produce pathogenic, acute or chronic-accumulative effects depending on the dose acquired indirectly for long periods of time. Generating for example: tumorigenic effects, cormosimic alterations, generating respiratory problems such as asthma, Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. One of the most vulnerable sectors are children, according to national pediatric reports, they can acquire in the first 5 years, an accumulation of 50% of pesticides that they will receive throughout their lives.

 Living and eating in a healthy and balanced environment would have a considerable positive impact on our populations, both in terms of health and performance as citizens. In addition, we know that we are facing multiple environmental problems due to this type of harmful action, without thinking about the future and even our present. 

I have got informed from various sources and also spoken to many professionals who know a lot about this type of algae and its functions / benefits as well as the impact of the chemicals used in Argentina, and the campaign that was carried out until a few days ago. Today, Argentinians have a certain percentage of pesticides in their bodies. It is the country which most uses this chemicals in the world. Citizens ask for a change, they are asking to be heard, so it is easy to find out and understand the current need. An example that you can find is the campaign on social networks such as instagram which is called #bastadevenenos, in which many people express their great concern and requests.

It is a concept because nowadays I am not producing diatomaceous earth, it is an idea to make reality. 

Es la producción de tierra de diatomeas, es decir, el cultivo y secado de sus paredes celulares, lo que sería una tecnología científica basada en conocimientos y metodologías tradicionales. (Una biotecnología)

Esta solución aún no le está sirviendo a la gente porque no se ha aplicado, pero impactaría a cada argentino, ya que todos necesitamos estos cultivos para una dieta saludable. 

el más importante es la insuficiencia de dinero... luego el hecho de que la mayoría de los agricultores o agrónomos estén de acuerdo en querer sumarse a este cambio.