The Role of Pesticide Molecular Structures in Accelerating Soil Erosion: An Agricultural Perspective

DOI

10.2991/978-94-6239-606-7_3How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Pesticides; Soil Erosion; Molecular Structure; Soil Fertility; Organophosphates; Organochlorines; Organic Farming; Agricultural Sustainability; Soil Chemistry; Soil–Crop Interaction

Abstract

Agricultural intensification has grown rapidly in response to rising population and food demand, particularly in developing countries where farming remains the backbone of rural livelihoods. Despite the modernization of machinery and communication technologies, the use of pesticides in many farming regions continues to rely on outdated practices. As a result, large quantities of chemically diverse pesticides accumulate in soils, influencing soil structure, biological activity, fertility, and long-term stability. This review examines how the molecular structures of commonly used pesticides, including organophosphates, organochlorines, carbamates, pyrethroids, neonicotinoids, and triazines, interact with different soil types, thereby accelerating soil degradation and erosion. The paper highlights how weak farmer awareness, limited access to organic alternatives, and insufficient policy support worsen the problem. In addition, the review identifies soil–crop–pesticide interactions and explains mechanistically how specific functional groups, halogens, aromatic rings, and persistent structures in pesticides alter soil chemistry and physical properties. The paper concludes with recommendations for sustainable pesticide use, improved farmer training, and a shift toward organic and soil-friendly practices.

Copyright

© 2026 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - G. Tejaswini
AU  - Srinivasa Rao Narra
AU  - CH Rajani
AU  - M. Padmaja
AU  - K. Venkata Rao
AU  - V. Sridhar
AU  - T. Srinivasa Rao
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/03/05
TI  - The Role of Pesticide Molecular Structures in Accelerating Soil Erosion: An Agricultural Perspective
BT  - Proceedings of the International Conference on Resilient Innovations for Subsistence Environment (IC-RISE-2025)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 13
EP  - 22
SN  - 2468-5747
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6239-606-7_3
DO  - 10.2991/978-94-6239-606-7_3
ID  - Tejaswini2026
ER  -