The key difference between fungicide and pesticide is that fungicides kill disease-causing fungi such as molds, mildew, and rust while pesticides kill disease-causing pests such as protozoa, flatworms, nematodes, snails, slugs, insects, and mites.
Diseases are major sources of plant damage and yield loss. They are caused by a number of plant pathogenic species, including fungi, bacteria, viruses, insects, and nematodes. Fungicides, herbicides, and insecticides are all commonly called pesticides and are used to protect plants from pathogens.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What are Fungicides
3. What are Pesticides
4. Similarities – Fungicides and Pesticides
5. Fungicides vs Pesticides in Tabular Form
6. Summary – Fungicides vs Pesticides
What are Fungicides?
Fungicides are chemicals used to kill fungi that cause diseases. They are biocidal chemical compounds or biological organisms that are used to kill, repel, or control parasitic fungi or their spores. Fungi can normally cause extensive crop damage in agriculture. This results in critical losses of yield, quality, and profits. Fungicides are used both in agriculture and in medicine to fight fungal infections in animals. The chemicals that are used to control oomycetes are also considered fungicides. This is because oomycetes use the same mechanisms as fungi to infect the plant species.
There are three types of fungicides: contact, translaminar and systemic. Contact fungicides are not typically absorbed into the plants. They remain on the surface of plants and protect plants. Translaminar fungicides redistribute the fungicide from the upper sprayed leaf surface to the lower unsprayed leaf surface. Systematic fungicides are taken up and redistributed throughout the xylem vessels of the plants. Fungicides have active ingredients such as sulphur, neem oil, rosemary oil, jojoba oil, bacterium Bacillus subtillis, and the beneficial fungus Ulocladium oudemansii. Furthermore, examples of fungicides chemicals include mancizeb, maneb, nabam, zineb, benomyl, cycloheximide, triadimefon, and metalaxyl thiabendazole.
What are Pesticides?
Pesticides are chemicals used to kill pests that cause diseases in plants and animals. Generally, they are chemicals or biological agents such as viruses, and bacteria that deter, incapacitate, or kill pests. Pesticides are grouped into several types: insecticides (active against insects), herbicides (active against certain plants), rodenticides (active against rats and mice), bactericides (active against bacteria), fungicides (active against fungi), and larvicides (active against larvae).
Pesticides may contain inert ingredients such as certain edible oils, spices, herbs, beeswax, cellulose, organic compounds like carbamate, and biological agents like beneficial viruses, bacteria, and fungi. Pesticides are active against insects, plant pathogens, weeds, molluscs, birds, mammals, fish, nematodes, and microbes. Moreover, pesticides are used in agriculture, human health protection, and environmental protection. Some of the well-known pesticides include organophosphate, carbamate, organochlorine insecticides, pyrethroid, sulfonylurea herbicides, and biopesticides.
What are the Similarities Between Fungicides and Pesticides?
- Fungicides and pesticides are chemicals that are mainly used to protect plants.
- Fungicides are a type of pesticides.
- Both contain chemical compounds.
- Both may contain biological agents such as viruses and bacteria.
- Usage of both may cause unintended consequences such as environmental pollution.
What is the Difference Between Fungicides and Pesticides?
Fungicides are chemicals used to kill fungi that cause diseases in plants and other life forms, while pesticides are chemicals used to kill disease-causing pests. Thus, this is the key difference between fungicides and pesticides. Furthermore, fungicides contain sulphur, copper, neem oil, rosemary oil, jojoba oil, bacterium Bacillus subtillis, and the beneficial fungus Ulocladium oudemansii. On the other hand, pesticides contain inert ingredients such as certain edible oils, spices, herbs, beeswax, cellulose, organic compounds like carbamate, and biological agents like beneficial viruses, bacteria, and fungi.
The following table summarizes the difference between fungicides and pesticides.
Summary – Fungicides vs Pesticides
Fungicides and pesticides are chemicals that are used to protect mainly plants. Fungicides are chemicals used to kill fungi, while pesticides are chemicals used to kill pests. Therefore, fungicides are useful in controlling fungal diseases while pesticides are useful in controlling pest attacks on plants mainly. So, this summarizes the difference between fungicides and pesticides
Reference:
1. “Fungicide.” An Overview | ScienceDirect Topics.
2. “Pesticide.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Tractor Fertilize Field Pesticide And Insecticide” By Aqua Mechanical (CC BY 2.0) via Flickr