Re: methyl bromide and competition
- To: i*@Rt66.com
- Subject: Re: methyl bromide and competition
- From: K* H* <s*@mtnweb.com>
- Date: Wed, 17 Apr 1996 08:13:47 GMT
At 08:05 PM 4/16/96 MDT, you wrote:
>Karin, I'd known about the methyl bromide sterilization for strawberries, but
>hadn't heard of it being used for iris fields. Brrr! But I guess I had assumed
>that big commercial growers of iris routinely used fungicides and systemics
>anyway. Or maybe the rot and borer problems are so different on the west coast,
>where several of them are, that they don't need to? Preventing major crop loss
>is one thing; using such a drastic chemical solely to get increase doesn't sit
>as well.
I have asked the growers here if there is any specific pest that they are
fumigating against and it seems like the iris just do better in ground that
has been fumigated. They really feel that they get more increase using the
fumigate. I grow a large amount of iris myself and have never heard of a
problem with the iris boror. We do have a problem with rot but even those
who fumigate lost a large portion of their crop last year when the rain
didn't let up. We also get leaf spot but the fumigate again doesn't make any
difference. Like all local chapters of the AIS, we discuss all the problems
of our local area and how to deal with them and except for the above
mentioned problems nothing has ever been discussed that would necessitate
the use of M.B. Methyl bromide was supposed to put out of use this year or
maybe next year but the big strawberry growers put pressure on Sacramento
and the ban won't start until sometime after the year 2000. I don't have the
article about the ban with me so I am trying to remember the dates and they
might be off a bit. Anyway I have gotten into some good discussions with
some of our local members who use M.B. routinely. Sorry to be a soapbox bore.
_________________________________
Karin Hinsen seconfid@mtnweb.com
Central coast of California
