What chemicals are used in organic farming?

[N]atural agricultural chemicals … provide organic farming with pest management, nutrient supplementation and soil improvement solutions. [These include:]

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Pyrethrins:

Conventional pesticides are prohibited in organic farming, while pyrethrins extracted from the petals of Asteraceae plants are permitted high-efficiency natural compounds.

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Neem oil:

Neem can simultaneously block the pest’s feeding desire (by inhibiting neurotransmitters), interrupt the molting process (interfering with molting hormones), and reduce the egg hatching rate ….

Bordeaux mixture:

A traditional fungicide made from a mixture of copper sulfate and lime, it is a “blue shield” for crops such as grapes and citrus.

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Sulfur powder:

In addition, sulfur powder (Elemental sulfur) is also a certified fungal disease prevention and control product.

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Although natural agricultural chemicals have significant advantages, they still face three core challenges:

The rapid effect is weaker than chemical synthetics (e.g. neem oil takes 3-5 days to show effect, while pyrethroids take effect within 2 hours);

High environmental sensitivity (Bordeaux mixture needs to be applied repeatedly after rainfall);

The cost is 30-200% higher than conventional chemicals.

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