North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Alan Haigh" <alandhaigh@gmail.com>]

IPM means many things to many people which destroys it as a marketing trademark.  Organic is appealing for it's clarity- no synthetic chemicals used in production.  It is assumed that a natural chemical that is found to be excessively environmentally destructive will be removed from approval.  The use of diesel fuel for transport from west coast dry farming orchards is not factored in.

 

I would like to see an association of IPM growers formed where specific standards are set although it would create an annoying bureaucracy to complain about.  In my region about half of sprays in conventional apple production are to control flyspeck and sooty blotch.  These diseases are cosmetic and only affect appearances.