Tetracycline

Charlie Brown mentioned drenching a whole bed with tetracycline to treat 
against rot.  This seems to be scientifically irresponsible.  

Firstly, there are hundreds of species of bacteria and fungi in the bed that 
are playing vital roles in the breakdown of organic matter into nutrients, 
etc. An indiscriminate use of an antibiotic will affect at least a number of 
these species, other more resistant forms will replace them and the balance 
of nature in the bed will be destroyed, at least for a while.  You may not 
affect the fertility in the long run but you could over a short period (a 
year??).

Secondly, the bacteria that generate diseases, such a rot, are almost always 
present in the environment.  They are only effective in attaching organisms 
when the conditions weaken the organism (whether it is an iris or humans).  
One way of reducing resistance to disease is to remove the disease.  I was 
involved with the study of a "new" disease on Easter Island in the South 
Pacific years ago.  When a ship arrive, people died.  After 36 medical 
experts examined the problem for four months, it was concluded that the 
population died from the prevailing bacterial/viral disease that was carried 
by the ship's population, not by a particular disease.  The population 
lacked exposure to the disease and therefore lacked resistance.  
Tetracycline used to eliminate the disease might, in the long run, result in 
a greater death rate in the irises.

Thirdly, the human population is suffering severely from more and more 
diseases that are resistant to antibiotics.  We have flesh eating disease, 
TB etc. outbreaks where no antibiotics work.  This is because the public 
forces the doctors to perscribe antibiotics when one is not need and the  
bacteria develop resistance.  Tetracyline was once held back as the final 
defense but overuse has meant that defense is no longer available.  The more 
we use antibiotics where they are not essential, the greater chance we have 
of bacterial disease in humans becoming uncontrollable.

In my view, if you have to use an antibiotic, be very specific, use it on 
the plant not on the environment.  Try to avoid the need by changing the 
planting conditions so that the plants are better able to resist the 
disease.  Alternatively, as someone has mentioned on the list, discard the 
plant and find a resistant variety.

Sorry for the diatribe bu this is an important point!

Ian E. Efford
Ottawa, Canada Zone 3
avocet@worldlink.ca   
Ian E. Efford
avocet@worldlink.ca
Ottawa zone 3
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