Biotech Activists wrote:Biotech Activists (biotech_activists@iatp.org) Posted: 05/11/2000 By mritchie@iatp.org

Date: Wed, 10 May 2000 23:37:37 +0100

We recently reported on the poor economic performance of Bt cotton in North Carolina as a result of an increase in 'stink bug' attacks compared withcrops managed using conventional insecticide spray regimes (see: http://www.btinternet.com/~nlpwessex/Documents/btcottonnoprofit.htm ).

There is now confirmation from scientists in Georgia and neighbouring statesthat the 'stink bug' problem arising with Bt cotton crops is not confined toNorth Carolina, with farmers being advised to deploy new chemical pesticideregimes to combat the problem - see: http://www.farmsource.com/News_Trends/newsarticles.asp?ID=16099. This latterarticle - posted on the Monsanto Farmsource web site - advises:

“Organophosphorus insecticides such as dicrotophos (Bidrin), methylparathion, Penncap-M and acephate (Orthene 90S) provide good control ......Generally, an insecticide application is recommended at one bug per six feet of row. Because bugs occasionally are difficult to detect, most states now recommend a threshold for treatment based on a percentage — 10 or 20 percent — of bolls damaged by stink bugs... Pyrethroids also give us pretty good suppression, but that won’t be good enough if the stink bugs areover-running you...”

The article confirms that the widespread adoption of Bt cotton has helped the stink bug emerge as a major pest in US Southeastern cotton productionareas. 'Solve' one problem and create another - the perfect business scenario tokeep 'life science' companies' bank balances bulging and farmers pocketsempty. Buy Bt cotton AND our sprays! (the 'OR' option will soon be history).

NATURAL LAW PARTY WESSEX
nlpwessex@bigfoot.com
www.btinternet.com/~nlpwessex

Mark Ritchie, President
Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy
2105 First Ave. South Minneapolis
Minnesota 55404 USA
612-870-3400 (phone)
612-870-4846 (fax)
cell phone 612-385-7921
mritchie@iatp.org
www.iatp.org

Datum: 15 mei 2000