What are pesticides and herbicides? Explain giving examples.

Pesticide is any substance or mixture of substances intended for preventing, destroying, repelling or mitigating any pest. Though often misunderstood to refer only to insecticides, the term pesticide also applies to herbicides, fungicides, and various other substances used to control pests. Pesticides also include plant regulators, defoliants, and desiccants. Aldrin and dieldrin are the names of some common pesticides.

Herbicides prevent or eliminate weeds and thus replace or reduce manual and mechanical weeding. As weeds compete with crops for sunlight, water, and soil nutrients, herbicides can also prevent soil erosion and water loss. sodium chlorate (NaClO₃), sodium arsenite (Na₃AsO₃) are two types of herbicides.