Wednesday, 03 February 2010 Intolerable

I know that you will share my senses of outrage and shame on reading this report: BANGLADESH: Pesticide poisoning takes its toll (18 January, Thomson Reuters Foundation)

I would not like to single out any one country for this...

Monday, 01 February 2010 Pesticide Stewardship Lessons for Transgenic Tomboys

Bheemi Reddy Siva Reddy (pictured above) grows Bt cotton. He has informed me through my one of my associates of allergic reactions suffered by workers in cotton ginning mills. Such poor labourers have no voice in circles of...

Friday, 29 January 2010 Impartiality in the Greater Public Interest

Independence and objectivity mark the institution of an ombudsperson. Great Britain has gifted some of the best democratic processes to modern nations. It is in this spirit of awe that I read the news at this link: Industry...

Saturday, 23 January 2010 An Unlikely Source

Their makeshift nature belied the illicit nature of the structures. The surreal images and the vibgyor layout appeared ludicrous to my supercilious eye. Then I halted. The two boys in the picture were in obvious awe of the man...

Thursday, 21 January 2010 The Customer is Always Right

You are probably a Punjabi if you know what a kinnoo is, but anyone can enjoy this scrumptious cross between a tangerine and lime. I love driving on our highways as Spring approaches, because this is when kiosks selling kinnoo...

Tuesday, 19 January 2010 A Pesticide Safety Blend

There used to be a time when cotton varieties in Northern India grew like sugarcane. I used to fear getting lost when scouting for pests and beneficial insects in mature crops. Bt has changed all this. Many pesticide safety...

Sunday, 17 January 2010 The Family Comes First

I am distressed to read this report: Coweta approves small scale farming (31 Dec, The Citizen). I do not know whether the claim about pesticides causing this particular case of cancer are verifiable. However, the damage to...

Friday, 15 January 2010 Extend This Universally

I compliment the US Department of Labour and Industries for the work reported at the following link: Pesticide workers pulled for exposure (2 Jan, Capital Press). 

Toxicity need not always be acute. It...

Monday, 11 January 2010 Who Will Bell the Cat

There can be no argument about the deleterious effects of spurious pesticides. However, should policing be left to regulators alone. No one can retail a pesticide in India without specific authorization from the concerned...

Friday, 08 January 2010 Plant Protection Challenges of Innovative Inter-Culture

Cocoa and arecanut have distinct pest problems. The two plants have obvious differences of morphology, but thier indigenous environments are not known to most farmers who try to grow them together.

It was a warm day, so I was...