Chapter 14: Ag notes
See challenges on p. 314:
Trade subsidies/barriers
Rising fuel costs
Energy ag: corn ethanol
LDC rising demand: wheat/rice to meat
5 tons of hydrocarbons needed to produce 1 ton of NPK fertilizer (macronutrient)
Micronutrients: Zn, B, Mn
1 ton of potatoes depletes soil of 10 kg of N, and 13 grams of Boron
Organic fertilizers release slowly (candy vs. starch)
Inorganic fertilizers release quickly-can lead to eutrophication
Pesticides---
insecticides, fungicides, herbicides
DDT-one example of a persistent pesticide
Bio-accumulation: one animal
Bio-magnification: up the food chain (trophic levels)
Natural pesticides:
nicotine-tobacco
caffeine-coffee
rotenone-tropical legumes
pyrethrum-chrysanthemums
Malaria and DDT-very effective at reducing mosquito population
half life of 15 years (YEARS)
Pesticide classes:
chlorinated hydrocarbons
organophosphates
carbamates
CH-Cl e.g. heptachlor
CNS toxin, very stable, dangerous to handle
Organophosphates e.g. malathion
nerve toxin, dangerous, but shorter half-life
ACHe inhibitor (just like nerve gas)
Terrorists and nasty countries manufacture nerve gas under the cover of making pesticides. This was done in the 1990's by Iraq, which then used the gas on the Kurdish people.
Carbamates e.g. carbaryl (sevin)
nerve toxin, also used in flea sprays and soaps
Herbicides
Auxins are natural growth regulators, this is the cause of the brown color rising up the stems of some plants (e.g. basil)
2,4,D and 2,4,5T were two nasty herbicides you may have heard of, one of these was also known as Agent Orange-look it up. It was developed and tested at UH Manoa and stored on Kauai.
Glyphosphate: Round-up-also known as "Haole Cane Knife"
Fumigants/fungicides
Often made from metals like zinc and manganese, very toxic
Rodenticide
Warfarin-stops blood from clotting, derived from snake venom. Also the basis for the anti-clotting drug coumadin.
Things to check out:
Dead zones
p. 324 LDC dangers
sustainable ag
1990 organic foods defined
GMO crops
BT and other natural controls