Agricultural inputs are defined as products permitted for use in organic farming. These include feedstuffs, fertilizers and permitted plant protection products as well as cleaning agents and additives used in food production.

1. Agricultural Inputs:
Agricultural inputs are defined as products permitted for use in organic
farming. These include feedstuffs, fertilizers and permitted plant protection
products as well as cleaning agents and additives used in food production.
List of Agricultural inputs :
1. In organic fertilizers
2. Pesticides which includes insecticides, fungicides, nematicide and
herbicide
3. Vegetative propagated planting materials
4. Bio pesticide
5. Plant growth regulators
6. Micro nutrients
7. Bio control agents
8. Animal feeds
9. Poultry feeds
10.Farm machinery and agricultural tools.
Defining Water quality:
Water contains dissolved and suspended organic and inorganic substances.
Natural waters vary greatly in their chemical and physical characteristics

2. and freshwater ecosystems have evolved locally in accordance with these
specifc conditions. Ecological networks, evolved in response to specifc
conditions, can therefore be remarkably sensitive to the introduction of
chemicals in the environment, and may change rapidly as concentrations of
substances change. Pollution is generally termed a signifcant deviation
from the normal or ‘natural’ chemical conditions, usually as a consequence
of human activity, so measuring the quality of water involves comparing
the current condition of water to its normal/natural state.
There are thousands of natural and human-made chemicals that can be
measured in dissolved or particulate form within water, each of which
could be used as an indicator of water quality. However, water quality
standards and what we may consider as pollution also depends not just on
what’s in the water but what the water is used for (e.g. drinking water,
water for bathing etc.). These standards have been incorporated into the
thinking behind the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD)
. We might consider a polluted water body as one where
one or more substances have built up to an extent whereby
they can be harmful to organisms that live in the water body or
to animals and humans that may drink the water.

3. Insecticide used in Bangladesh :
Insecticide material used to kill insect pests by disruption of their vital
processes through chemical action. Insecticides may be inorganic or
organic molecules, and are grouped into three general classes- stomach
poisons, contact poisons, and fumigants. Fumigants or poison gases are
generally the most effective insecticides to use when the insects and the
commodities they are damaging are in a tight enclosure, such as a house,
storeroom, or greenhouse. A few other groups of chemicals known as
repellents, attractants, chemosterilants, insect growth regulators, and
pheromones are also used in insect control programmes, but their mode of
action is different. As a rule these chemicals are non-toxic to the target
organisms.
In general, inorganic insecticides are effective only as stomach poisons, and
they are used now mostly in baits. Most organic insecticides, either
synthetic or of plant origin, act as contact as well as stomach poisons, and
in certain cases as fumigants.
The history of the development of insecticides is not a very long one. In the
1860s, the invasion of the potato fields of the Mississippi, USA by the
Colorado Potato Beetle gave rise to the first general use of an insecticide.
An arsenical known as Paris Green was used so successfully as a plant
protectant that orchardists next adopted it in their fight against the codling
moth. Paris Green became so popular that by 1900 its use became
widespread in the USA and Europe. In addition to Paris Green, several
other inorganic salts, including lead arsenate, cryolite, mercurous chloride,

4. sodium fluoride, and sulphur were probably the earliest used compounds
for pest control. Some of them are still being used at the present time.
Natives of tropical countries knew about the toxic nature of the roots and
different parts of certain plants such as Tephrosia, Derris, Lonchocarpus
and others, which they used for centuries as fish poison to kill and collect
fish. This practice subsequently led to the development of the organic
insecticides of plant origins, often known as botanicals or alkaloids, such as
rotenone, nicotine sulphate, pyrethroids, etc. The earliest recorded
insecticidal use of rotenone was against leaf-cutting caterpillars in 1848.
However, it was not until 1902 that the active principle of rotenone was
isolated.
Recent trends in the development of new insecticides have been almost
entirely towards synthetic organic chemicals. Perhaps the first use of such a
chemical was in 1892, when the potassium salt of 4,6-diritro-o-cresol was
marketed in Germany as an insecticide. The first large-volume use of a
synthetic organic insecticide began in 1932 with the advent of
-butoxy-'thiocyanodiethyl ether. However, it was the discovery of DDT in
1940, during World War II, which conclusively proved that a synthetic
compound could be superior to inorganic and natural products for many
insecticidal uses.
The middle decades of the twentieth century have been the years of
revolution of synthetic organic insecticides in the field of pest control. The
development of DDT and its successful applications against a number of
pests, including the house fly and mosquitoes, inspired chemists and

5. chemical industries to bring into use hundreds of new insecticides of
various types.
On the basis of their chemical composition, synthetic organic insecticides
are classified in various ways, namely chlorinated hydrocarbons, cyclodien
compounds, carbamates, organophosphates, etc. Of the chlorinated
hydrocarbons, DDT, Methoxychlor and Lindane were widely used for
many years. Because of long residual effects, use of DDT has been
restricted in many countries including Bangladesh.
The cyclodiene compounds are highly chlorinated cyclic hydrocarbons
which include Chlordane, Heptachlor, Aldrin, Dieldrin, Endrin, etc. Most
of these insecticides are very effective against soil insects. However, Endrin
is highly toxic to fish and therefore its use in Bangladesh has been
prohibited since 1962. The carbamates represent a unique class of
insecticidal compounds of considerable diversity. Like the
organophosphates they are irreversible inhibitors of the cholinesterase
enzymes of the neuromuscular system. The commonly used carbamates are
Sevin and Baygon. Sevidol, a common granular insecticide used in
Bangladesh is a mixture of Sevin and Lindane (gamma BHC).
From the standpoint of pest control, the organophosphorus insecticides are
extensively used for the control of almost all types of insect pests. Research
in this field has resulted in the discovery of thousands of compounds with
insecticidal properties of every description. Malathion, Diazinon (Basudin),
Bidrin, Dimecron, Azodrin, Nogos, Nexion etc are few of the best known

6. organophosphates. Most of these insecticides have more than one trade
name.
Many of the organophosphorous insecticides are systemic in action, that is
to say, they have the unique property of being absorbed and translocated
to various plant parts in amounts lethal to insects feeding thereon. This
property makes them useful in controlling stem borers and similar pests
feeding on internal tissues.
Although Bangladesh is a pest prone area, insecticides were not used till
1956, when the Government imported 3 m tons of pesticides to control
pests. Up to 1974, the government promoted the use of pesticides by
supplying them free of cost to farmers (providing 100% subsidy). The
subsidy was reduced to 50% in 1974. The government withdrew the
subsidy completely in 1979 and the insecticide business was handed over
to the private sector. Then to cope with emergency situations, the
government, however, maintains a buffer stock of 15-20 m tons of
pesticides.
After the withdrawal of the subsidy, the use of insecticides declined during
the early years of 1980s, but their use has now been on the increases
reaching to over 13,000 m tons in 1999. Some of the reasons for the increase
in the consumption of insecticides over the years are: (a) an increase in the
area of rice cultivation from about 7.9 million ha in 1956 to about 10.3
million ha in 1998; (b) increase in the intensity of rice cultivation from
below 60% in 1956, 68% in 1974, to 184% in 1999; (c) an increase in the area
under high yielding varieties, in which farmers use high inputs; (d) sales

7. promotion activities of insecticide dealers to motivate a large number of
farmers to use insecticides for controlling their crop pests; and (e) excessive
use of pesticides by farmers out of ignorance. Some farmers apply
insecticides when they are not required at all.
At present, about 4 dozens of insecticides with over 150 trade names have
been registered in Bangladesh. Many insecticides are being marketed
under different formulations such as granular (Gr), liquid (EC), powder
(WP, dust, SP), and aerosol.
Commonly used insecticides under different trade names include
Carbofuran, Diazinon, Fipronil, Carbosulfan, and Chloropyrifos among the
granular form; Cypermethrin, DDVP, Diazinon, Dimethoate,
Monocrotophos, Malathion, Phosphamidon, Phenthoate, Fenitrothion, and
Bidrin among the liquid form; Carbaryl, Cartap, and MIPC among the
powder form; and Bromadiolone, Brodiofacum, and Zinc phosphide
among the rodenticides.
Microbial insecticide :
Microbial insecticide A pathogenic microorganism and its by-products
used by man to suppress insect pest populations by causing a disease. Like
chemical insecticides it can be stored for a period, diluted with water, and
passed through a spraying machine.
Microbial insecticides have some striking advantages in contrast to
chemical insecticides. They tend to be host specific, safe, and have no toxic
residues. They also ensure the survival of natural enemies and unlikely

8. stimulate resistance in target pests. Some microbial insecticides are
compatible with chemical insecticides and can often be used in
combination with them. However, microbial insecticides have some
disadvantages too. Their high specificity restricts their production and
marketing. Certain upper or lower limits of pH, temperature and light
intensity might lead to their failure.
Fungi include some microbials which invade insects by spores, landing on
the cuticle the germ tube penetrates the cuticle. Beuveria bassiana and
Metarhizium anisopliae used against cabbage caterpillar, and soil pests,
respectively, are most important. Several viruses, bacteria, protozoa and
nematodes are ingested microbials and rely on ingestion by the host to
initiate infection. Nuclear polyhedrosis and granulosis (used against
lepidopteran and hymenopteran pests) and cytoplasmic viruses (against
lepidopteran and dipteran pests) are very effective. The most important
spore forming bacterium of insects is Bacillus popilliae (infects scarab dung
beetles) and B. thuringiensis (attack lepidoptera, mosquitos and blackfly
larvae). Protozoa, especially Nosema, have been used against moths.
In Bangladesh, use of microbial insecticides to suppress insect pests is very
limited. Tests with B. thuringiensis for control of rice ear-cutting and
swarming caterpillar have been found to be effective. A list of microbials
has been prepared and identified by scientists of BARI.

9. Impacts of agricultural inputs and wastes on water quality and fisheries:
1. During the first two thirds of the 20th century, the main cause of
negative impacts on UK fresh water quality in watercourses was effluent
from industrial sources and human settlements. However, over recent
decades the balance of pollution sourceshas shifted. Industrial effluent has
improved due to changesin types of production in the UK and stricter
environmental standards on point source discharges (water pollution
coming from a single point). At the same time, agriculture, which covers
over 70% of the land area, has signifcantly intensified, (leading to more
productive, more effcient and larger farms. Agriculture affects water
quality through the release of nutrients (as a result of soil management and
fertilizer application) and other chemicals (e.g. pesticides) into the water
environment, through biological contamination (e.g. from microbiological
organisms in manure), and via soil being eroded and washed off
farmland9. Alterations to the physical habitat of rivers also affect water
quality.
2. Agriculture may affect water quality directly and indirectly. Direct
impacts include soil, nutrients and pesticides being transferred from felds
to watercourses during rainfall events. An example of an indirect impact
might be related to upland drainage designed to improve grassland. If
drainage increases the rate of loss of water from the hill slope when it rains,
it may lead to flashier river flows10 and thus more river bank erosion
creating more downstream sediment problems. Management of
agricultural land alongside river margins and banks, reducing vegetation

10. cover, can increase the light exposure on river water, potentially increasing
temperatures and the capacity to hold dissolved oxygen with direct and
indirect impacts on in-stream ecosystems, including enhanced risk of
nutrient enrichment and its negative consequences.
3. Nutrients derived from farming can lead to enrichment of water
courses and can be a significant contributor to poor water quality. These
are principally nitrogen and phosphorus and their various forms, which
contribute to eutrophication, with associated algal blooms and undesirable
aquatic organisms such as toxic algae.
4. Despite restrictions on nitrogen use in many places, nitrate
concentrations in ground waters still remain elevated even in protected
areas19 as travel times of nitrogen in the water are slow and certain
groundwater areas are not suitable for denitrifcation. Currently, only 24%
of surface water bodies in England and 36% of surface water bodies in
Wales meet ‘good ecological status’ as defined by the Water Framework
Directive. 22% of water bodies achieve good status in Northern Ireland20
and in Scotland 65% of water bodies are deemed good or better, but for the
35% which are failing, agriculture is deemed to be a major pressure21. Now
and in the future, agricultural production not only needs to consider
population economic growth and development, but also its effects on water
quality.
5. While agriculture is deemed to be a signifcant factor in many
catchments, there is no single management practice that is the main cause
of rivers and groundwater containing too many nutrients, pesticides,

11. microbiological pollutants or silt. The natural processes by which nutrients
and pollutants leave the land are complicated and may involve the
interaction between locality (e.g. slope, rainfall, soil type) and management
(ploughing, input regimes, feld margin management and so on). There are
regional differences in the source, mobilization and delivery processes of
diffuse pollution across the nation. At a smaller catchment scale, we are
only now beginning to understand many of the physical processes and
complexities associated with land management and water quality through
advances in environmental science. These advances, however, pave the
way for the development of solutions to environmental water quality while
allowing sustainable farm activities. Nevertheless, quantifying the
effectiveness of solutions remains a challenge
6. Climate change will affect all forms of agricultural production via
changes in temperature (e.g. livestock may require more water, soils may
dry out more requiring more irrigation), rainfall (amount, intensity and
pattern through the year), river flow and groundwater recharge, and plant
physiology (e.g. responses to increasing atmospheric CO2 concentrations
altering plant water-use effciency, or increasing heat/drought stress).
These factors may all impact on water quality by affecting farm
management and the volumes of water flow, pathways for water
movement, and the associated transfer of pollutants from agricultural land
to water bodies.

12. Conclusion :
The degradation water quality can impact on adjacent waterways and
ground water both onsite and offsite. there are planning documents and
BMP options available to farmers for managing agricultural waste. Keeping
up to date on technological designed to improve waste management
strategy is also good practice to reduce the impact of agricultural imputs
and wastes on water quality and fisheries.
References :
1. Fao.org
2. Mundlak, Yair, "Agricultural Productivity and Economic Policies:
Concepts and Measurements," OECD Working Paper No. 75, OECD
Development Center, August 1992, SourceOECD.org, 13 July 2007.
3. "Analysis of farming systems". Food and Agriculture Organization.
Retrieved 22 May 2013