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Pesticides News No 25
The Journal of the Pesticides Trust [now PAN UK]
An international perspective on the health and environmental effects of pesticides
Quarterly/September 1994

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Editorial 2

Features
World Bank Rebuff-NGOs move to protect genetic resources 3
At the opening of the Second Session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Convention on Biological Diversity (ICCBD) in Nairobi on 20 June, the non-governmental organisation (NGO) community made public an attempted 'coup' by the World Bank to take control over the world's crop germplasm collections, held under the auspices of the CGIAR. By Renée Vellvé.  

Putting up with Pesticides-Exposure and response in the UK 4
Pesticides have ruined my health and there has been no help available to me; At spray time, the smell of Metasystox (demeton-S-methyl-WHO classification Ib, extremely hazardous) permeates the whole area, people just shrug it off; You won't work again in the area if you complain; Everyone here is dependent on agriculture, doctors don't take exposure seriously; I knew I had been exposed to organophosphates, but the doctor refused to have blood tests done; Our whole family was on the point of suicide after exposure. These comments are from people exposed to pesticides, not in a developing country, but in the UK, where the pesticide impact on health is not considered a major problem. This article looks at the current situation facing sufferers, and recent achievements.

Retail Trade Sets Course for Pesticide Reduction 8
The UK food retailer, J Sainsbury, is developing its own slant on environmentally sensitive farming by encouraging its suppliers to adopt Integrated Crop Management System (ICMS).  A number of UK retailers are developing these crop protocols, co-ordinated through the National Farmers Union.

Integrated Farming in The Netherlands 9
Research into integrated arable farming (IFS) in Europe is slowly increasing with 13 projects now established in 10 countries. In the last issue of Pesticides News we looked at a UK example. This article focuses on the Netherlands, where the concept was first developed in 1979. David Buffin visited the Nagele experimental farm in the central clay region, and discussed developments with Dr. Frank Wijnands, an early pioneer. Results have shown that pesticide use can be reduced by up to 65%.

Rotational Farming-A system misrepresented? 10
Until well into this century, control of pests, weeds and diseases was achieved largely by cultural methods, including crop rotation. The Norfolk four course rotation was typical (wheat, swedes, barley or oats, hay), and each crop made a different level of profit or loss in cash terms to the farmer. The introduction of fertilisers reduced the dependence on rotation, but increased vulnerability to pests-and this factor was not allocated a 'value'.  This article looks at a 19th century rotational system, and argues that the failure to account for 'hidden' costs of pest control made agricultural systems based on chemical inputs appear more profitable, and thus increased the likelihood of their take up. By Robert Shiel.

Pesticide Problems and IPM-Implementation in Madagascar 12
With more than three quarters of its 12 million inhabitants working as peasants, Madagascar is an agrarian society. Rice is the most important crop, and the annual production of about 2 million tonnes-grown on 1.1 million hectares-is cultivated extensively, with yields varying between 1.5 and 3.5 t/ha.  Most is consumed locally.  After rice, the most important crops are cassava, sweet potatoes and corn.  The cash crops-cotton and sugar cane-attract the highest inputs of pesticides. By Alexander von Hildebrand.

Editorial 2  

Third world
Pesticides in Indian Milk 14
A 7-year study of pesticide residues in milk covering 12 Indian states has attrac-ted considerable public concern. The study, by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), found a high proportion of samples of milk foods-bovine, human and other-had residues of HCH and DDT above tolerance limits. By AT Dudani.

American Pest -Threat to Indian crops 14
The American serpentine leaf miner, Liriomyza trifolli, invaded India three years ago, and poses a serious threat to Indian agriculture. Polyphagus in nature, the insect has spread fast throughout the country. By Devinder Sharma.

Tea Storm Brewing?  15
German consumers have threatened to stop buying Darjeeling tea because of concern with the pesticides used in cultivation.  The potential boycott has sounded alarm bells in India, and moves to rescue the image of the crop.

Small Doses 15

    Timber treatment
    An End to Toxic Buildings? New processes and products     16
    For many years the standard treatment for dry rot in buildings in temperate regions has been rather destructive and relied on apparently excessive amounts of toxic chemicals. Part of the reason for this was undoubtedly a lack of knowledge of the physiology of Serpula lacrymans, the causative organism of dry rot. Recent studies on the organism confirm more subtle methods for eradication and control are possible. Current procedures and how new research results might affect these procedures are discussed in this review. By John Palfreyman.

    Water
    The Quality of Water is Sustained     18
    The fourth annual report of the Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI)  shows a continued improvement in the overall quality of drink­ing water in England and Wales. A total value of 98.91of the 3.5 million tests for all parameters complied with national and EC standards as opposed to 98.7% com­pliance in the previous two years.

    Local Authority
    Avon Pest Management Policy Launched     19
    Avon County Council publicly launched its comprehensive pest management policy at a seminar held on 28 July. The policy has been in preparation for a year in conjunction with The Pesticides Trust [now PAN UK] Local Authorities Project.

    New Label Instructions for Diuron 19
    With the demise of atrazine and simazine in the non-agricultural weed control arena, the residual herbicide diuron has been intensively marketed as an alternative and is now contaminating drinking water.

    International monitor 20

    Genetic Engineering 21
    Scorpion Gene Virus Experiment Abandoned  
    Contamination problems have forced scientists at Oxford's Natural Environment Research Council Institute of Virology (IoV) to abandon temporarily experiments involving release of a caterpillar virus genetically engineered to express a scorpion toxin to control cabbage lepidopteran pests. By Oliver Tickell. 

    Book reviews and resources 22-23
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