From cm52@cornell.edu Fri May 19 14:54:24 2000 Date: Fri, 19 May 2000 11:20:06 -0400 From: Chris McCullum To: sanet-mg@cals.ncsu.edu Subject: Roundup Ready > >"Research is already suggesting that Roundup may not be as safe as we are >being led to believe. >Roundup has now been linked to several types of cancer, including >non-Hodgkins' Lymphoma." > >Yes, I've heard similar reports. Although I don't have all my references >off hand, here are a few >that I do have: > >Research has shown that the application of glyphosate can increase the >level of plant estrogens in >the bean, Vicia faba (Sanderman and Wellman, 1988). More research is >needed to understand the significance of these findings as well as to >better understand the neurological, immunological, >developmental, and reproductive effects of herbicides, including glyphosate. > >Although adverse effects of herbicide-resistant soybeans have not been >observed on certain feeding animals, genotoxic effects have been >demonstrated in other non-target organisms (Cox, 1995 a,b).Earthworms have >been shown to be severely damaged by the glyphosate herbicide at 2.5-10 >1/ha (Rebanova et al., 1996). In addition, aquatic organisms, including >fish, can sometimes be severely damaged as well (Henry et al., 1994; WHO, >1994). > >Cox, C. 1995a. Glyphosate, part 1: Toxicology. J Pest. Ref. 15(3):14-20 >Cox, C. 1995 b. Glyphosate, part 2: Toxicology. J. Pest. Ref. 15(4):14-20. >Henry et al. 1994. Acute toxicity and hazard assessment of Rodeo, >Spreader, and Chem-Trol to >aquatic invertebrates Act. Environ.Contam. Toxicol. 27:3):392-399. >Rebanova et al. 1996. Effect of the herbicide Roundup on earthworms of the >family Lumbricidae in the >mountainous meadow ecosystems. Zootechnicka Rada, Ceske Budejovice >13(2):63-70. >Sanderman, H. and Wellman, E. 1988 Biologische Sicherheit 1:285-292. >WHO, 1994. Glyphosate. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization. > >Chris > > > > > > >At 11:54 PM 05/18/00 -0500, kandmhfarm@sprintmail.com wrote: >>I farmed conventionally for 20 years before becoming an organic farmer. >>I used all the "right" chemicals and put them on properly and carefully >>recorded the results. I was poisoned by those chemicals and will NEVER >>use them again! Fortunately we farm organically now. Experience has >>shown that weeds don't pay any attention to herbicide labels. Follow-up >>applications of herbicides are often needed when unusual weather occurs ( >>when is the weather ever normal anyway? ) Weeds will adapt to any new >>chemical eventually either by developing resistance or by new species >>coming that are already resistant. Roundup is no different. Because it >>has no residual activity, any weed that comes up after a field is sprayed >>with Roundup will be unaffected. If spraying is delayed too long, >>serious yield loss will occur due to early competition from weeds. >>Smaller weeds will be physically shielded from the Roundup by the canopy >>of larger weeds and crop. We will see herbicide use increase steadily >>with Roundup Ready crops every year they are used as the weed >>populations adjust. Studies and data from the first few years of use are >>irrelevant in predicting long-term herbicide performance. I have noticed >>that whenever chemical weed control fails, it is blamed on the weather, >>the timing, new weeds, the farmer etc. When organic weed control fails, >>it's because it was organic. >> >>About 60 years ago Dr. Bernard Rademacher said that: >>" Cultural methods take the foremost place among the means of >>controlling weeds >>in arable land. Efforts must be made, by all kinds of measures which are >>at the same >>time beneficial to the crop plants, to keep the growth of weeds as small >>as possible >>from the very outset. Cultural measures form the basis of all weed >>control, while >>the various chemical means should be regarded as auxiliary only. >> The necessary condition of any successful weed control is the >>promotion of >>growth in the crop plants. Vigorous plant stands are among the best means >>of >>eradicating weeds. " >> >>I have found his statement to be as true today as it was then. In >>general, our weed control is better now that we are farming organically >>than it was when we used chemicals. We use various cultural weed control >>techniques, supplemented with mechanical cultivation - and we are farming >>over 1100 acres. >> >>With the direct application of Roundup to crops and with second >>applications becoming more common, Roundup residue levels in food are >>sure to rise signifigantly. Research is already suggesting that Roundup >>may not be as safe as we are being led to believe. Roundup has now been >>linked to several types of cancer, including non-Hodgkins' Lymphoma. I >>guess I wouldn't argue which herbicide is safer, I wouldn't use any >>herbicide. >> >>I'm sure better educated people than I can easily explain why I'm wrong >>on all counts, but time will tell. >>Klaas Martens >> >>To Unsubscribe: Email majordomo@cals.ncsu.edu with the command >>"unsubscribe sanet-mg". 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