Carbosulfan
Why in News?
The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare issued a draft order to completely prohibit the manufacturing, import, transport, distribution, sale, and use of Carbosulfan under the Insecticides Act, 1968.
About Carbosulfan
- Chemical Group: It is a synthetic chemical belonging to the carbamate class of insecticides.
- Mechanism: It functions as an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor, disrupting the nervous system of target pests.
- Physical Properties: It is a toxic, non-persistent, orange-yellow or brown viscous liquid with low water solubility.
- Trade Names: It is globally marketed under prominent trade names such as Marshal, Posse, and Advantage.
Key Agricultural Uses & Industry Concerns
- Pest Resistance: The Agro Chem Federation of India (ACFI) warns that a sudden ban could expose crops to higher pest risks and resistance due to limited alternatives.
- Increased Cost: Farmers in critical rice-growing belts might face higher pest-control costs and potential yield losses.
- Target Crops: It is heavily utilized in India across crops like paddy (rice), cotton, chilli, brinjal, cumin, and horticultural crops.
- Pest Control: Valued for its rapid "knockdown" action against gall midge, stem borers, leaf feeders, and sucking pests.
- Market Size: It caters to nearly 32 lakh acres of farmland in India, representing a domestic market value of ₹250 crore to ₹400 crore.
Key Risks & Environmental Impacts
- Lethal Breakdown (Carbofuran): Inside soil, water, and plants, it rapidly metabolises into carbofuran—an acutely hazardous and highly toxic substance.
- Human Neurotoxicity: Poses extreme acute and chronic neurotoxic health risks to farmers, sprayers, and consumers via dermal contact, inhalation, or food crop residues.
- Threat to Wildlife: Causes severe secondary poisoning and mortality in non-target beneficial species, including birds, honeybees, and pollinators.
- Aquatic Toxicity: It is exceptionally toxic to fish and aquatic invertebrates, altering aquatic ecosystems through agricultural runoff.
