Chemical pesticides will continue to play a significant role in U.S. agriculture for at least the next decade, says a new report from the National Research Council (NRC)

.... before the advent of synthetic pesticide POISONS, man and his property including his crops and animals survived and even prospered using only ALTERNATIVES!  - S. Tvedten

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Subject:  PESTICIDES HERE TO STAY, BUT ALTERNATIVES ON THE WAY-----
Date:  Sat, 22 Jul 2000 09:21:45 -0400
From: Stephen Tvedten <steve@getipm.com>
Organization:  Get Set Inc. (www.getipm.com)
To:  undisclosed-recipients: ;

WASHINGTON, DC, July 21, 2000 (ENS) - Chemical pesticides will continue to play a significant role in U.S. agriculture for at least the next decade, says a new report from the National Research Council (NRC). However, more government sponsored research and incentives are needed to spur the development and use of alternative pesticides or new chemical pesticides that pose fewer risks to humans and the environment, and that are not too expensive to use. "Chemical pesticides should remain part of a larger toolbox of diverse pest management tactics in the foreseeable future," said May Berenbaum, professor of entomology at the University of Illinois, Urbana, who chaired the committee that wrote the report. "No single pest-management strategy will work in all ecosystems, so chemicals need to be part of an ecologically based framework that can safely increase crop yields."  

Effective and affordable alternatives to chemical pesticides are not always available, the committee concluded. Although plants that are genetically modified to resist pests may be safer for the environment than traditional synthetic pesticides, the committee said questions remain about how fast pests evolve resistance to them, how they affect non-target species, and how their pest resistant genes may be transferred to their relatives. Until more is known about the ecological impact of transgenic plants, a need will remain for chemical pesticides, the committee said. The report also emphasizes the use of integrated pest management, including tactics like crop rotation. By using multiple pest control tactics, instead of relying on a single method, farmers will face limited rates of pest adaptation to pesticides.  

Have a great day!  Steve  

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