It appears that an epidemic has hit the fruit growers of California! read here. The new pest called SWD is native to Japan and Asia but has spread out to the states. These bugs are dangerous because they attack fruit on the trees and then lay eggs. The pests don't make it to the top of the trees, but that means 1/2 the crop is dead. So what's a farmer to do? Well how do they keep other pests away? I guess whatever organic methods the farmers use don't work on these new pests. So the article says "wash more thoroughly than ever before." As we've discussed previously, if washing was really going to get off the pesticides then the farmers would have to re-spray after every rain. We know that isn't happening. Unfortunately, the fruits that are most susceptible are thin-skinned fruits, which are also usually the ones on the dirty dozen, or have the highest pesticide content and require the most pesticides. So what should we do? Honestly, I'm sorry, a pesticide is a pesticide. I know you, the organic farmer, hates to resort to them and wouldn't if you didn't, but that doesn't mean I have to resort to them.
The good news is that they are going to research these pests and see what can be done about them. In about 10 years the SWD will be immune to the pesticide anyway so organic and conventional farmers will all be in the same boat.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
organic farmers forced to spray
Labels:
conventional farming,
dirty dozen,
organic,
organic farming,
pesticides,
SWD
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