Subject: Re: Roundup
From: Troy Coziahr <troyc@geneseo.net>
Organization: a Digital Internet AlphaServer Site
Date: Wed, 20 Aug 1997 22:47:08 -0700
Message-ID: <MOD$970820.4864@rec.gardens.ecosystems>
References: <MOD$970816.7652@rec.gardens.ecosystems> <MOD$970819.23825@rec.gardens.ecosystems>


William D Hulet wrote:
>
> On Sat, 16 Aug 1997, Bill Robinson wrote:
>
> >
> > I.07.01: Q.: Is Roundup safe for use in the home garden?
> >
> Is roundup paraquat with a new name? When I was a kid I had
> moronic relative order me to spray something called "Gramaxzone" in a
> handsprayer on weeds in the drip line of our orchard trees. It had real
> fancy effects when you inhaled it and when it hit a weed it made it
> collapse into dust within 24 hrs. When another relative (somewhat older
> and wiser) saw me doing this he hit the roof and said that it was paraquat
> and that I should only be wearing a moonsuit to spray it. One of the
> annoying things about pesticide companies is that they keep changing the
> names of products as the develop a bad reputation. The way people
> describe Roundup it sounds a lot like paraquat.

Paraquat and Roundup are not even remotely similar, except for the fact
that they are both herbicides.

Paraquat - A contact killer (explains the fast knockdown of weeds),
meaning it only kills the plant tissue it contacts (not the roots) and
also highly toxic (oral LD50 = 30). As for your experience with it, all
I can say is that it is currently a restricted use pesticide (and
rightfully so), meaning that in order to buy or apply it legally, you
must be a certified applicator. Paraquat is a potentially dangerous
herbicide, and the alternatives we have now make me question why we even
still have access to it.

Roundup - A systemic killer, meaning it kills the entire plant, roots and
all. This explains the slow weed knockdown (about a week before seeing
good results). Roundup is a very safe pesticide from a toxicity
standpoint (LD50 approx 3,000, depending on formulation). As has been
discussed endlessly on these groups, many "organic" alternatives can be
far more toxic than Roundup. Of course with any pesticide, read and
follow the label carefully. If you're not comfortable with doing it
yourself, call a professional. If you're not comfortable with that,
DON'T USE PESTICIDES. Just keep in mind that the "organic is good,
man-made is bad" mindset is grossly inaccurate. Pesticide injuries
result from mishandling pesticides and a failure to understand what their
potential is. Your own experience proves that.

Troy