Abstract

Majority of pesticides applied to the soils are not specifically targeting the pest only but also taking another dimension of environmental concern. Typically, when pesticides are sprayed to the plants, they dissolve speedily and enter various components of soil medium. This situation brings into existence a relationship between soil and chemicals contained in the pesticides. This relationship creates abnormal condition in soil and makes it to behave contrary to its natural stage of formation. This paper has taken into account an illustrated concept of pesticides behaviour under this condition as a challenge to four major soil components namely: soil quality, water quality, air quality and human quality. However, complex activities of soil challenges by pesticides as affecting these soil components include the agricultural activities, waste disposal, industrial environmental issues such as mining, chemical disposals, and accidental oil spills and occurrence of acid rain. These combined issues are discussed in this paper primarily to contribute with some basic ideas regarding the environmental aspect of pesticides consequences in agriculture.

Keywords: Soil; Air; Water; Soil challenges; Pesticides