Hans Lovejoy
  • Home
  • Music
  • Journalism
  • Editorials
  • Consultancy
  • Contact

Down the rabbit hole sprayed by pesticides

7/2/2011

0 Comments

 
Spraying poisons goes against the fundamental principles of a living earth and is unacceptable in modern society.

Unfortunately we still do it wilfully, cheerfully and without much examination. Ray Moynihan’s front page piece highlights the urgent need for the reform of Australia’s health standards and to clearly define what constitutes poison or a harmless chemical.

While state and federal governments continue to play a reactive role in banning poisons as they appear, the immediate question is why spray the maccas? The potentially harmful agent in this instance – Difenoconazole – is used for the control of husk spot in macadamias, according to the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority.

So what is husk spot? It’s caused by a fungus, and is a well known serious disease, says www.tpp.uq.edu.au, a ‘research centre’ website for tropical fruit protection.

Difenoconazole is produced by a company called Syngenta Australia. Its parent US company launched the pursuit for chemical answers to organic problems in 1926, says its website.

Associate Professor Andre Drenth from QLD university has done research into fungal pathogens that cause diseases on endemic plants such as macadamia, and kindly provided The Echo some valuable insights into what the macca industry faces.

‘The industry standard for husk spot control in susceptible varieties is application of Carbendazim mixed with copper first at at the matchhead stage of development of the macadamia fruit followed by an application four weeks later.

‘Recently a new fungicide, Cabrio, which mode of action was originally derived from the natural ability of mushrooms to withstand attack by other fungi, was registered for the control of husk spot as there is a chance that Carbendazim will be phased out in the near future and is under review by the APVMA. Cabrio is a newer type of fungicide with a more specific mode of action and fewer side-effects.

‘We have conducted several laboratory and field trials with different biological control agents over the last few years.

‘Unfortunately, none of these products has lived up to claims made by their manufacturers with regards to their effectiveness in randomised trials. We continue to test new biological control agents but in general the effectiveness of control has not been good. Epidemics of fungal diseases are driven by the weather.

‘The most effective and environmentally sound way to control this disease is through breeding disease resistance into new varieties. ‘We have developed ways to screen for this disease and we are actively involved in the breeding program for this purpose. The breeding program is financed by the macadamia industry to combine good quality macadamia nuts with pest and disease resistance.

‘However, breeding is a longterm strategy and we still have many trees in the ground which need to be protected in the meantime in the most effective and safest way possible.’

Spraying – even potential poisons – originates from the need to produce high volumes of food and clear land at the most economically viable price within the guidelines of legislation. Clearly science, government and industry plan to continue to find chemical answers to an organic problem. Let’s take chemicals out of food altogether. The Cuban crisis in the 1990s showed us that human ingenuity can prevail, independent of complex food supply structures. Without even fuel for tractors they found a way. Applying better alternatives to spraying chemicals would address the bad reflection this has on the behaviour of our species.

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010

    Categories

    All
    Banglaow
    Brunswick Heads
    Byron Bay
    Byron Shire Council
    Capitalism
    Civilisation
    Class Warfare
    Climate Change
    Community Markets
    Conservative Intellectuals
    Corporations
    Counter Culture
    Crime
    Development
    Drugs
    Elections
    Environment
    Federal Coalition
    Federal Government
    Federal Labor
    Festivals
    Finance
    Food
    Health
    Hemp
    History – Australia
    Holiday Letting
    Human Rights
    International
    Journalism
    Language Usage
    Lobbyists
    Mardigrass Festival
    Media
    Mining
    Mullumbimby
    Nationals Party Nsw
    Nsw Government
    Piracy
    Police
    Religion
    Renewable Energy
    Social Contract
    Sovereignty
    State Coalition Party
    Technology
    The Greens
    Transport
    West Byron

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Home
  • Music
  • Journalism
  • Editorials
  • Consultancy
  • Contact