What is the purpose of a bactericide?

A bactericide serves the specific purpose of killing bacteria. These chemicals are designed to target and eliminate harmful bacterial pathogens that can cause diseases in plants, animals, and humans. In agricultural contexts, bactericides are crucial for protecting crops from bacterial infections that can lead to significant yield losses and crop failure.

While other options like enhancing plant growth, repelling insects, and improving soil quality serve important functions in agriculture, they do not align with the primary function of a bactericide, which is focused solely on the eradication of bacterial populations.