Integrated Pest Management and Bee Mortality
Ξ May 26th, 2008 | → 0 Comments | ∇ A Day at a Time, Technology, Wine News |
The German government’s Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety has banned a family of pesticides “blamed for the the deaths of millions of honeybees”. The banned pesticides are grouped under the neurotoxic descriptor neonicotinoids because their action on insects is modeled after nicotine. Dr. Fishel of University of Florida’s Agronomy Dept. writes “They act on the central nervous system of insects. Their action causes excitation of the nerves and eventual paralysis which leads to death.” (Full details here.) On the list would be Acetamiprid, Clothianidin, Imidacloprid, and Thiamethoxam, but others are being added.
The German ban specifically names Clothiandin (brand name Poncho), made by the chemical giant Bayer, for that pesticide is directly associated with the massive bee die-off in question, but includes all neonicotinoids, among them the very popular Imidacloprid used extensively here in the United States. Imidacloprid, sold in Europe under the name Gaucho, has suffered a limited ban in France since 1999 when residues began showing up in a wide range of crops not initially treated with the pesticide. Studies are energetically underway to determine the role of neonicotinoids in what is now called Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD).
And Imidacloprid, to take but one example from this family of pesticides, remains of special significance for us here in the US not only because of our own recent experience with CCD but also because of its common use in the American vineyard. Indeed, we may find it mentioned in the Integrated Pest Management manuals of UC Riverside, Cornell, and UC Davis. Further, the Temecula AVA in Southern California is now under threat of a new outbreak of Pierce’s Disease and the ‘go to’ treatment is none other than Imidcloprid, trade name Admire.
As a matter of course Bayer insists, as does the EPA (largely basing their findings on Industry research often done by University proxies), that Imidacloprid is ’safe when used properly’. But what is its proper use? Imidacloprid is a systemic chemical, meaning it makes its way through a plant’s tissues killing insects that come in contact with it through chewing and sucking, therefore flowers may also become contaminated, hence bees dying following upon pollination. Yet even if it is ‘properly’ applied as in the case of Temecula winegrowers where it is a timed sub-surface soil application with well-weeded inter-rows, Imidacloprid is often also used as a foliar spray against other vineyard pests, the Asian Lady Beetle, for example. Airborne it can then become an indiscriminate toxin. And the pesticide has still more formulations. Dr. Fishel writes, “It has a wide range of target pests and sites, including soil, seed, structural, pets, and foliar treatments in cotton, rice, cereals, peanuts, potatoes, vegetables, pome fruits, pecans, and turf. It is a systemic with long residual activity and particularly effective against sucking insects, soil insects, whiteflies, termites, turf insects, and Colorado potato beetle. Products are available in dusts, granules, seed dressings as flowable slurry concentrates, soluble concentrates, suspension concentrates, and wettable powders.”
What is an organic or sustainable winegrower to do when his or her neighbor uses this product? They plant inter-row vegetation in order to promote healthy vineyard biodiversity. Yet they may be drawing to their vineyard beneficial insects, bees and wasps among them, that may never find their way home. Neither insects nor pesticides recognize property boundaries.
Admin
