{"id":4924,"date":"2009-08-28T12:29:10","date_gmt":"2009-08-28T18:29:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wordpress-367309-1145705.cloudwaysapps.com\/?p=4924"},"modified":"2009-08-28T12:29:10","modified_gmt":"2009-08-28T18:29:10","slug":"the-pesticides-i-wish-i-could-buy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sustainablog.org\/articles\/the-pesticides-i-wish-i-could-buy\/","title":{"rendered":"The Pesticides I Wish I Could Buy"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Alright. \u00a0I know that the title of this post is controversial for this website, but I’m serious about this. Read a little further and this might not seem so radical.<\/p>\n

Over the last 40 years I have gardened<\/a> in Denver, Davis California, Western Colorado, Delaware and in San Diego county. \u00a0By far the most challenging place to garden has been in San Diego. \u00a0We have no winter here to knock back the pest populations. \u00a0We have lots of misty, cloudy days in May and June because we are only 2 miles from the ocean. It is pretty much of a pest and disease heaven. \u00a0I am constantly fighting pest issues in my garden and vineyard here, and I often wish I had better tools to do that.<\/p>\n

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I still try to garden because that is a “local food”<\/a> option that I believe in (tomatoes, zucchini<\/a>, basil, hot peppers…). \u00a0I also have a little vineyard (only 25 vines) that gives me about 15 gallons of wine per year. \u00a0Even as an “expert” on grapes diseases, there are serious pest issues for the grapes that are problematic for me to control. \u00a0I tried to do it with sulfur and insecticidal soap (things that would be allowed under Organic rules), but the results were dismal.<\/p>\n

It is particularly frustrating for me because I work in agricultural technology and so I know all about the safe and effective pesticides that are available to real farmers. \u00a0We homeowners are stuck with very old pesticide options that you can buy at the Home Depot or even at a high-end nursery.<\/p>\n

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For example, I wish I could buy Flint\u00ae fungicide. \u00a0It is based on the active, trifloxystrobin <\/a>and it would control both the powdery mildew<\/a> and Botrytis bunch rot <\/a> (pictured) that are problems for my little vineyard. \u00a0It is essentially non-toxic to mammals. \u00a0The measure of that is called a “rat Oral LD50<\/a>” and it has a value of 5,050 mg\/kg<\/a> on a scale where bigger numbers are safer. \u00a0Table salt has a value of 3,000<\/a> so you can see that Flint is pretty safe. \u00a0The “pesticides” that would fit most people’s negative image are things like azinphos methyl, a 60+ year-old insecticide with a “rat LD50” of 7 mg\/kg<\/a>. That would be 700 times as toxic as Flint\u00ae. \u00a0Azinphos methyl is only used today under extremely restrictive rules on a few crops. \u00a0It is certainly not sold to homeowners.<\/p>\n

The copper fungicide they sell at Home Depot and which is approved for organic has an LD50 of 472<\/a>. \u00a0That is not terrible, but it is a lot more toxic than the best, modern options and it is also much less effective against diseases. \u00a0It also accumulates copper in the soil where it is sprayed. \u00a0There is nothing particularly “green” about that option.<\/p>\n

I would also like to be able to buy Vangard\u00ae<\/a> fungicide for Botrytis control. \u00a0It is based on the active ingredient cyprodinil and it also has a “rat LD50” of > 5000 mg\/kg.<\/a><\/p>\n

Another good option would be fludioxanil which is similarly non-toxic.\u00a0 In fact there is a product with both cyprodinil and fludioxanil called Switch\u00ae<\/a> which would be even better.<\/p>\n

I have been able to buy a product with a 20+year-old fungicide called myclobutanil <\/a>(at least two generations of fungicides back from what is cutting edge today). \u00a0It does a good job on the mildew, but not the Botrytis. \u00a0It isn’t too bad from a toxicity point of view with a rat LD50 of 1,600 mg\/kg.<\/a><\/p>\n

When I need to use an insecticide for my garden or vineyard, I wish I could buy something like\u00a0Altacor\u00ae<\/a>. \u00a0It is based on the active ingredient rynaxypry and it too has a “rat LD50” of >5000 mg\/kg.<\/a><\/p>\n

These are just examples. \u00a0There are a lot of other really safe options that would make my gardening and small-scale viticulture easier. \u00a0Why aren’t these super safe options available for homeowners? \u00a0 There are several reasons:<\/p>\n