EU Action on pesticides

[isurus79]

This is a hot button issue for me so I will back away slowly... lol

[Leafmite]

This is not the first time that pesticides have been banned. It sometimes takes long-term studies to discover the unintended consequences and effects. Lindane and Chlorpyrifos both worked very well but were found to have adverse effects on humans. Others destroy nearby aquatic life. The problem with using chemical control is that it is difficult to target specific organisms, especially when many other organisms in the environment might have similar systems that allow them to also be affected in some way.

I believe that one day soon, insect control will, perhaps, delve into an entirely different direction: biological control. We have more potential players in our arsenal now: bacteria, virus, fungus, and other means that can be used to more directly target specific pests. Mosquito dunks are just one example. Scientists have gotten rid of some pests by releasing genetically altered or sterile versions of the pests and this might also be used more frequently. The problem is, all this development takes time, money, and often many failures before there is success.

Another possibility is small robots programmed to simulate predator bugs. It really is not all that far-fetched when you think of the current research in the medical field.

Herbicides?
I strongly believe that artificial intelligence will soon be trained to identify weeds and machines will be built using this technology to destroy them. Farming is getting very technologically advanced already and AI is getting pretty good with ID.

[camille1585]

A few things I'd like to comment on in this thread:

*I don't think the article posted early on about neocotinids not being linked to colony collapse is completely correct. I've heard several talks at conferences on the topic (of colony collaspe) where they do point to neocotinids. While they are not the root cause, they contribute to the problem especially if treatments are poorly timed, and are an aggravating factor in populations already facing other problems, such as varroa mites.

*Related to that, I do think that it's good to ban pesticides that have proven high detrimental effects on human health, animal/insect health and the environment. But we can't live in a pesticide free world yet. Someone brought up biological control. It works amazingly well in enclosed greenhouse environments, but outdoors is a whole different story. It's open space, the climatic conditions may not be adapted to the enemies, and there's too much background noise in the odors they use to find the bad insects. The lab I did my PhD in has spent years on this topic, and there are many challenges in getting biological control to work as well and reliably outside as we'd like. Large monocultures are also a problem as natural enemies also need places to feed (sugar) and breed. Same goes for the microbial beneficials- they work well in enclosed systems, but most don't do as well outside.

*Organic is often brought up as THE solution. It isn't. It can be equally toxic to the environment as a number of 'organic' pesticides contain heavy metals (thinking of copper sulfate for instance) which pollute the soil and groundwater. Yields are also lower in many crops in organic agriculture, meaning more land is needed to produce the same amount as in conventional, meaning a negative impact on the environment.

All that put together, the approach we need is Integrated Pest Management: Grow crops as chemical free as possible, use cultural practice that discourage pests and encourage natural enemies to move in and help out a bit, and use & time pesticide application as smartly as possible. Monitoring is the backbone of IPM: Monitor frequently, and catch problems early. No more excessive preventative treatments, just well timed curative treatments.

[Dollythehun]

Originally Posted by isurus79

This is a hot button issue for me so I will back away slowly... lol

Ditto.

[Fernando]

yeah, that's the industry point of view.

As for my orchids and other plants I don't use chemicals. Well, potassium soap is a 'chemical', but a tooth stick isn't.

In the end, as always, it is a personal choice. Your decision, your responsibility.

[orchidsarefun]

I've come to the conclusion, after raising hundreds of orchids and and also doing my own hybridising, that there are orchids that naturally repel pests and infections and others that attract them. For example- mealybugs. In my conditions I've discovered that the best control is to toss the orchids that are invaded regularly/ perpetually. I have catasetums that have never had spidermites, and others that I have to preventive spray. Species seem to have a natural resistance. I've disposed of dozens of zygo seedlings that were unusually prone to fungal infections. It seems my hybrid turned off that "gene".
My hope is that one day there is selective breeding, not genetic modification, to enhance/promote the gene/whatever is responsible for this. So instead of prone to insect and disease invasion , its prone to insect and disease resistance. I could live with the latter.

[Leafmite]

This is true with all plants. I have certain plants that are like magnets for pests and certain plants that are untouched. I am growing a Neem tree and it really did stay completely clean without any intervention. The jasmine, and tea, citrus, cinnamon, and coffee trees constantly need checked, cleaned off, and sprayed with Neem oil.

Pesticides are a necessary evil. There is no right or wrong way to see them but I do hope that our technology advances to the point where the harmful chemical types will someday become obsolete. It greatly disturbs me to see butterflies and bees suffer but I do understand completely the benefits of pesticides. I admit, if Lindane was still available, I would be still burying those crystals around the roots of my peach tree. I just try to use my pesticides as mindfully as possible.