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- From: "Stephen Sadler" <Docshiva@Docshiva.org>
- To: <dmnorton@royaloakfarmorchard.com>, "'North American Fruit Explorers'" <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
- Subject: Re: [NAFEX] chemical vs organic
- Date: Tue, 16 Jun 2009 12:46:05 -0700
Rotenone is natural, but the definition
of the term ‘organic’ is changing. Whether something like
that would be allowed in an organically certified farm would be determined by
the certifying agency. I would encourage what the OMRI insists on in this
statement about rotenone: “It may be used only as part of a biorational pest
management program, and cannot be the primary method of pest control in the
Farm Plan. The least toxic botanicals must be used in the least ecologically disruptive
way possible.” As for Bt, yes, the bacteria produce toxins, but, as with many
toxins, they are highly specific. They require a high-pH gut to be
effective, and then act on specific receptors in the gut. Bt or its toxic
products are not only not harmful to non-insects, but each insect that can be affected
is targeted by a specific strain of Bt. For instance, many caterpillars
are damaged by one strain, and common mosquito larvae by another. Neither
strain is problematic to the other type of creature. Organic gardeners
and farmers love specificity. Not to pick on you, Dennis; your IPM approach to insect control
is sensible. ~ Stephen From:
nafex-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org [mailto:nafex-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org] On
Behalf Of dmnorton@royaloakfarmorchard.com The question is
not organic vs. chemical or chemical vs. organic since organic growers do
use chemicals such as Bt. It is the toxin from the soil
bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis. In 1997 Bt was the most
heavily used pesticide on organic farms. The real question that is
typically overlooked is, toxic vs. non-toxic. For example: Nicotine, one
of the more toxic organic insecticides, has a rat LD50 (lethal dose in 50% of
animals tested) of 55mg/kg. The synthetic insecticide, imidacloprid, has a
rat LD50 of 425mg/kg, making imidacloprid nearly 10 times less toxic than
nicotine. Yet nicotine is "organic". Rotenone has an LD50
of 60-1500 mg/kg and is more acutely toxic than Malathion or Sevin. Cats are
highly susceptible to pyrethrum. But Rotenone is
"organic". We are a
conventionally grown fruit orchard and I would never use either Bt or
Rotenone. I don't use Malathion and only use Sevin as a thinner at
1/2 to 1/4 rate. I don't wnat to kill our beneficials! Dennis Norton |
-
Re: [NAFEX] chemical vs organic [SEC=UNCLASSIFIED],
ADAMSON, Karl, 06/15/2009
-
Re: [NAFEX] chemical vs organic [SEC=UNCLASSIFIED],
dmnorton, 06/16/2009
-
Re: [NAFEX] chemical vs organic,
Road's End Farm, 06/16/2009
- Re: [NAFEX] chemical vs organic, dmnorton, 06/16/2009
- Re: [NAFEX] chemical vs organic, Mark Angermayer, 06/16/2009
- Re: [NAFEX] chemical vs organic, Stephen Sadler, 06/16/2009
- Re: [NAFEX] chemical vs organic [SEC=UNCLASSIFIED], Kevin Moore, 06/16/2009
-
Re: [NAFEX] chemical vs organic,
Kieran &/or Donna, 06/17/2009
- Re: [NAFEX] chemical vs organic, mIEKAL aND, 06/18/2009
-
Re: [NAFEX] chemical vs organic,
Road's End Farm, 06/16/2009
- <Possible follow-up(s)>
-
Re: [NAFEX] chemical vs organic [SEC=UNCLASSIFIED],
Melissa Kacalanos, 06/16/2009
-
Re: [NAFEX] chemical vs organic [SEC=UNCLASSIFIED],
Kevin Moore, 06/18/2009
- Re: [NAFEX] Bt toxin, Kieran &/or Donna, 06/18/2009
-
Re: [NAFEX] chemical vs organic [SEC=UNCLASSIFIED],
Kevin Moore, 06/18/2009
-
Re: [NAFEX] chemical vs organic [SEC=UNCLASSIFIED],
dmnorton, 06/16/2009
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