from the rest of the operation and from nearby operations when a sensor detects a potentially harmful agent the action that may be taken includes but is not limited to treating the animals or plants of the agricultural operation with an agent that inactivates the chemical or biological agent detected treating all or a portion of the agricultural operation with a prophylactic that prevents harm from the chemical or biological agent detected destroying all or selected portions of the agricultural operation or any combination thereof another embodiment of the invention is directed to systems designed to detect potentially harmful chemical or biological agents that enter an agricultural operation such systems comprise a plurality of sensors designed to detect a chemical or biological agent wherein the plurality is dispersed throughout the agricultural operation and a control station connected to each sensor which provides information to a user on the activity of the plurality of sensors the control station may be a computer that monitors the sensors when a sensor detects a potentially harmful chemical or biological agent an alarm can be sounded to alert the operator the operator can take immediate action to protect the non exposed portions of the operation and treat the exposed portion as necessary the invention may further comprise a means to segregate a.