Subject: Re: Cotton chemicals and environmental impact

From: [email-masked]
Date: 16 Dec 1996 17:06:30 GMT

In <[email-masked]>, [email-masked] (Patricia Dines) writes:

>"Betting on Organic Cotton" Nov-Dec 1995. Profile, a couple/cotton farmers
>(do both organic and nonorganic fields), marketing strategies. Includes
>comparing organic and conventional practices, costs.

Note that organic cotton is neiter recommended nor feasible in all 
areas. Many regions simply have heavier insect and weed pressure than 
organic techniques can handle. Also, the organic market is very 
fickle, and very limited. 

>7) Two interesting topics around cotton - 
>a) South Texas voting whether to exit from the Boll Weevil eradication
>program, where the pesticides used were blamed for one of the worst crops
>in recent memory - destroyed beneficials.  (I know some southern group did
>decide to exit - may have been this or another one.)  

While BWERAD was blamed for the problems by some, other observers 
noted that the worm problems seen in South Texas were shared in areas 
not undergoing BWERAD. Many feel that the Texans simply overreacted.

>
>MISSISSIPPI HOMES ACCIDENTALLY SPRAYED WITH COTTON PESTICIDE
>
>Hundreds of homes in southeastern Mississippi were 
>accidentally sprayed with the highly toxic cotton 
>pesticide methyl parathion. Several people have reported 
>becoming ill after their homes were sprayed by an 
>unlicensed extermination company. The pesticide stays 
>toxic for months or years when applied indoors. No 
>deaths or hospitalizations have been reported.

Note that these homes were not exposed to methyl parathion due to 
normal cotton production, but rather through an unlicensed applicator 
who sprayed the chemical indoors as an indoor posticed. Methyl 
parathion is clearly labeled for agriculltural use only under 
presecribed conditions. This unlicensed applicator should in no way 
reflect on cotton producers. 

BBB

B.B. Bean                                       [email-masked]
Peach Orchard, MO                          http://www.cris.com/~Bbbean
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