Re: Sci Am article on RoundUp

**H*@aol.com**

In a message dated 7/25/2009 1:45:02 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,  
dp2413@comcast.net writes:

_http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=weed-whacking-herbicide-p_

(http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=weed-whacking-herbicide-p) 

I'm not sure that all of this information about Roundup is  new.  Nearly 
four years ago researchers at the University of Pittsburgh  showed that the 
surfactant used in Roundup was causing high mortality in  amphibians, most 
notably frog tadpoles.  But there is another angle.   Roundup is not labeled 
for use in or near wetlands and thus the use of the  product in this manner is 
against Federal and most state laws.  There is,  however, a different 
formulation of glyphosphate that does not contain the  surfactant that is not 
noted in the SA article and it does not result in the  amphibian mortality.

And we also need to be careful when we use the trade name  Roundup as it 
now has many retail faces...something I've just written about and  warned my 
readers about.  There seems to be numerous formulations being  sold with the 
Roundup trade name that are now products containing not only  glyphosphate 
but other active ingredients that change the original product from  a short 
lasting, non-selective herbicide to a persistent,  non-selective herbicide 
that can last for as long as six months...when used  as directed.  Are your 
readers aware of this?

The other nit I'd like to pick is the continued mention of the  use of 
Roundup on lawns.  Roundup (glyphosphate) is a non-selective  herbicide that 
will kill virtually all lawn grasses.  That being the case  the only use for 
this product on a lawn would be to kill it.  This may be  a method of lawn 
renovation, but surely not a way to control weeds in  turfgrass.  The article 
and some comments make it appear that the use of  glyphosphate on turfgrass 
or your neighbors lawn, is commonplace, but it  isn't.

I hate to be on the defensive about this chemical...but  sometimes we need 
to get our facts and perspectives better researched as  well.

Andrew Messinger
The Hampton Gardener is a  registered trade mark and is published every 
Thursday in The Southampton Press,  The Press and the Easthampton Press

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