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permaculture - [permaculture] Modus operandi of glyphosate from Frank Schultz of TPSL; delayed follow up to the glyphosate thtead

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  • From: Lawrence London <lfljvenaura@gmail.com>
  • To: permaculture <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [permaculture] Modus operandi of glyphosate from Frank Schultz of TPSL; delayed follow up to the glyphosate thtead
  • Date: Tue, 19 May 2015 12:46:37 -0400

Re: Fw: [permaculture] Monsanto knew of glyphosate / cancer link 35 years
ago | GM-Free Cymru Special Report | gmfreecymru.org


-----Original Message-----
From: Frank Schultz [mailto:wb5ayy@aircanopy.net]
Sent: Monday, April 13, 2015 1:15 AM
To: 'Sustainable Agriculture Network Discussion Group'; 'sal schettino'
Subject: RE: [SANET-MG] Fw: [permaculture] Monsanto knew of glyphosate /
cancer link 35 years ago | GM-Free Cymru Special Report | gmfreecymru.org


It gets more interesting than that:



Glyphosate, together with many other herbicides, is extremely spray-water

pH-sensitive. Water in much of the country tends to be hard - and due to

the falling aquifers, it is getting harder. As a powerful chelator, much of

glyphosate's effectiveness can be consumed in chelating hard water minerals

(metal compounds). The target spray water pH for glyphosate is around 5.0,

but nowhere on the label is that mentioned. There is only mention that up

to 18# of AS/100 gallons of water can be used. This writer has moderately

hard water and tried the AS trick one time with no significant change in

spray mix pH.



The boys around here typically use one quart per acre. There are areas

where many quarts per acre are applied. If a farmer complains that his

glyphosate is not working, the stock answer from the co-op is, "use (buy)

more".



This writer typically applies 1/2 pint per acre with a sugar to accelerate

plant uptake - after correcting water pH. I use acetic acid as it does not

appreciably add elements to soil chemistry. Citric or sulfuric acid may

also be used. However, with the latter, S is added to the soil - which may

or may not be desirable.



Under ideal circumstances (bright sun and warm), the weeds start turning

grey the day after application and are completely dead within a few days.

Important, if you're fighting the weather or a deadline.



Of course, the glyphosate proponents say that under-applying (less than the

label rate) glyphosate promotes glyphosate-resistant weeds. Were I making

or selling it, I'd say the same thing. You don't make more money by selling

less - especially at least 75-percent less.



Well, it is being applied at, or above label rate by most growers. Do we

not still hear of glyphosate-resistant weeds?



Perhaps more interestingly, there are at least 700 manufacturers of

glyphosate, globally. The non-Monsanto manufacturers, particularly in

third-world countries may not use chemically-inert (stainless steel) vessels

for manufacture, but lead or bronze ones. This can introduce a nice dose of

heavy metals to an already problematic product. On the "off-brand"

container I have, nowhere could I find the country of origin.



But there's more: As about as early as 1984, it was discovered that RR crops

were/are nutrient-deficient. Understandable, as glyphosate kills by

chelating many metal compounds within the plant (making them

unavailable/lacking) - but RR crops are able to survive this - even though

they are nutrient-deficient. Maybe explains why RR crops are prone to

disease and insect pressures - and how it could be said that junk food is

being grown in the field - any other issues aside.



By the way, glyphosate tends to decimate soil biology. The only reason I

use it (to the exclusion of all other herbicides) is that my microbial soil

inoculant grower has a pre- and post-application remediation plan. He has

few for the other herbicides. He tells me that cocktails of herbicides are

particularly destructive to soil biology - with very long-term effects.



This monologue is based upon my personal experience and what I've been told

by those in the manufacturing end of the ag industry. Do with it as ye

shall.

<>

I’ve done much reading to find out the modus operandi of glyphosate to
understand how it kills (does it go in and poison the cells?).



Here is the barest essence of my reading: Glyphosate does not actually kill
the plant. By disabling the plant’s defenses (by tying up essential
nutrients - resulting in extreme malnutrition) thereby putting it under
extreme stress, Mother Nature does what she does best: Eats The Weakest.
When glyphosate reaches the roots and ties up nutrients there, natural soil
pathogens instantly go to work and the plant *actually dies from disease* -
not the glyphosate.



*But how glyphosate works is not the important point of this discussion.*
Glyphosate simply demonstrates - albeit dramatically - the crucial role of
nutrition in plant health and resistance to disease (aside from yields and
quality)! Fact is, only one or two essential nutrients would need to be
absent for the plant to be in serious difficulty, if not soon die.



So, extrapolate back from being virtually absent to just being
“deficient”. A deficient plant may be susceptible to some disease
pressures in addition to not being able to deliver its genetic potential in
terms of yields and quality. *In fact, many plant diseases and some insect
pressures are only symptoms of nutrient deficiency!*



When we see disease problems, our first question is, what are the nutrient
deficiencies?


Aside from other stresses (weather, water, etc.), the real lesson here is
to give the plant the nutritional resources it needs to reduce or eliminate
stress and defend itself against disease (and insects) and deliver its
potential! All else being equal, the effects of glyphosate dramatically
demonstrate this principle.


--
Lawrence F. London
lfljvenaura@gmail.com
Ello: @ecoponderosa <https://ello.co/ecoponderosa>
https://sites.google.com/site/avantgeared/
https://sites.google.com/site/venaurafarm/



  • [permaculture] Modus operandi of glyphosate from Frank Schultz of TPSL; delayed follow up to the glyphosate thtead, Lawrence London, 05/19/2015

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