I've been out of town for a few days and have just gotten back
to my e-mail.
Pesticide use in many crops has decreased in North Carolina,
in part due to increases in use of Integrated Pest Management for
major crops.
Site specific information is critical to understanding the
whole situation. The Midwest may have problems with pesticides in
ground water, but monitoring wells in North Carolina have indicated
very little problem - those wells (2, I think) that had more than
allowable amounts of pesticide were related to contamination from
spills and/or loading sites, not from "normal" use.
There is a "debate" over which practices are more
"environmentally sound" - no-till with its reliance on herbicides
for the most part, or multiple mechanical cultivations with its
reliance on fossil fuels and heavy equipment.
Meanwhile, the farmer is just trying to make a living doing
what he/she wants to do. Most farmers are concerned, responsible
stewards of the environment, but they also have to make a profit
so they can continue farming and being concerned, responsible
stewards of the environment. Is it fair to ask farmers to
sacrifice their income for community environmental benefits? Let's
not forget where our food comes from.
Anyway, those are some of my thoughts and comments. These are
strictly my personal comments. I do not speak for the North
Carolina Cooperative Extension Service or North Carolina State
University.
--Marjorie Rayburn
Area Specialized Agent, IPM
-- Marjorie Rayburn E-Mail : mrayburn@chowan Internet: mrayburn@chowan.ces.ncsu.edu Phone : (919) 482-8431