Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Kauai Biotech Discloses Restricted Pesticide Use

The first reporting of biotech pesticide use under the voluntary “Kauai Agricultural Good Neighbor Program” is now available on line at the state's data port.

Syngenta, Dow AgroSciences, BASF Plant Science and Dupont-Pioneer reported the quantity of each restricted use pesticide they used in the month of December 2013 and the total acreage to which it was applied.

For example, BASF applied 4.60 pounds of Lorsban to 5 acres, Dow applied 23.4 gallons of Paraquat-dichloride to 131.15 acres and Syngenta used 166.75 pounds of atrazine on 166.75 acres, among other things. 

The reports do not specify where the pesticides were used, or anything about GMOs, as would be required under the county's new law. It's due to take effect in August, and the companies agreed to a much more limited voluntary disclosure in the meantime.

The voluntary guidelines also set a 100-foot buffer zone between application areas and schools, medical facilities and residential properties, which is less stringent than the new county law.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Who says it's getting into anybody's body?

Anonymous said...

What happens to the birds who eat the paraquat bugs?

Anonymous said...

What birds? I spend a lot of time on the beach towards sunset out on the west side and in years past owls were a regular part of the scenery. Not so any more, a rarity at best these days.

Anonymous said...

Maybe someone can analyze whether this bug spraying is resulting in violations of the endangered species act.

Anonymous said...

Perhaps the Chem growers could make GMO/Herbicides products that selectively makes shtupid people shmart, egotistical politicians reasonable and whack jobs sane. I have to go now and feed my pueo, he be needin' to be eatin' his GMO meeces. Sufferin' succotash! Let's blame everything on big Ag.


Anonymous said...

Joan,
I don't think you are interpreting the data correctly. You should look at the amounts of Active Ingredient since this is reported in pounds for everything.

Take Atrazine applied by Syngenta. It is a component in Aatrex and Lumax. Putting them together you get:
146.74 + 98.01 = 244.75 lbs Atrazine
applied over
166.75 + 139.76 = 306.51 acres.

Anonymous said...

Not enough information. Useless.