Re: NYTimes article on Roundup

**<l*@juno.com>**

Hi All,

An interesting discussion. The Undergardener has relatives back in Iowa
who still farm. The first time I visited, I wondered aloud how they
managed to spread so much manure over such vast expanses of acerage --
the black soil there is so rich compared to what we have in NW New
Jersey, that I was stunned to learn that no compost or manure had been
applied to it. With the size of the acreage being farmed by fewer and
fewer farmers growing ever larger, the size of the farming equipment has
grown correspondingly, to the point that they look like something from a
science fiction movie. Soil compaction is an accompanying consequence.

Another factor I've never heard discussed is cultural. In this land of
Scandanavian descendents, one is considered a "bad" farmer if so much as
a single weed grows up between the corn or bean rows. This was once done
by hand by children who rode on the back of the tractor -- no longer an
economically viable option.

I think Nan makes some good points. While glyphosate is approved by the
NJDEP, I avoid using it. However, it is the only weapon that works
against an ever-widening patch of ground ivy. As gardeners, sometimes we
face problems that are lose-lose propositions. Than one has to ask which
is worse, the ground ivy or the glyphosate.

Regards,
Lois

On Fri, 20 Sep 2013 07:22:31 -0700 Nan Sterman <NSterman@PlantSoup.Com>
writes:
> 
> >From a scientific standpoint, its important to tweeze apart which 
> of the negative effects come from using GMO corn and which are the 
> result of using glyphosate  - that comes only from testing each one 
> separately to see which (if either) is the cause of the stunted 
> corn, etc.  
> 
> Its really important to read these kinds of articles with a critical 
> eye to determine what is conjecture, what is suspicion, and what 
> might actually be a validated conclusion.
> 
> Nan
> 
> 
> On Sep 20, 2013, at 4:49 AM, Teri Chace <terichace@aol.com> wrote:
> 
> > 
> > For those who might have missed this yesterday:
> > 
>
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/20/business/misgivings-about-how-a-weed-ki
ller-affects-the-soil.html?pagewanted=1&_r=0

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