toxicity - pesticides, herbicides and insecticides - Blackherbals.com

Continued from page 65 – Honey Bees in Trouble?honey bee decline, noted Olav Rueppell, a biologist andbee expert at the University of North Carolina, Greensboro,who was not involved in the new research."But this study is particularly nice because it takesactually the pollen that bees bring into the hive … tocompromise honey bee immunity," he told NBC Newsin an email. "Therefore, many substances are involvedand seem to have an effect."And since the problem of honey bee decline appearsmultifaceted, added vanEngelsdorp, "the solutions areprobably multifaceted."http://www.nbcnews.com/science/honey-bees-troubleblame-farm-chemicals-study-says-6C10736740☻☻☻☻☻Nigeria: FG Begins AerialSpray of Locusts in Bauchi14 July 2013The VanguardBauchi — The Federal Government has begun theaerial spray against quelea birds and grasshoppers in 10local government areas of Bauchi State.The state Commissioner for Agriculture, Alhaji TasiuAbubakar, said this at the beginning of the exercise inBauchi.He said that the state government had donated 750litres of pesticides for the exercise.Abubakar said it would curb the menace of pests andensure the realisation of mass food production byencouraging peasants to take to farming.He, however, warned farmers within the affected areasto stay indoors during the period to avoid inhaling thepoisonous insecticides.It gathered that the exercise was being conducted bythe Federal Ministry of Agriculture and RuralDevelopment in conjunction with the state government.The Coordinator, North-East Zonal Office of theministry, Mr Johnson Waziri, observed that one of thegreatest challenges facing agriculture was pest control.Waziri said the exercise was in line with thegovernment's Agricultural Transformation Agendatoward ensuring sustainable food security.He said that it would be conducted every morning andevening, adding that the period coincided with the"nesting time for the pests".The coordinator commended the state government forgiving top priority to agriculture.The Chairman, Global Apex Air, the company handlingthe exercise, Capt. Gbenga Bankole, who conducteddignitaries round the aircraft, said the organisation wasusing a new technology to do the exercise.Bauchi, Alkaleri, Kirfi, Misau, Giade, Ningi, Shira,Gamawa, Jama'are and Zaki local government areas arebeneficiaries of the exercise. (NAN)http://allafrica.com/stories/201307150399.html☻☻☻☻☻Tanzania: Herbicide EffectsExtend Beyond PlantsBy Anne Outwater13 May 2012Tanzania Daily NewsColumnHERBICIDE tolerant crops, developed through geneticengineering, were supposed to control weeds, and Btcrops were intended to control insect pests.In fact one of the most potent promises made aroundgenetically engineered crops was that pesticide usewould decrease. This is a seductive goal since pesticidesare dangerous for human beings and the environment.However, the opposite has happened.Instead of controlling insect pests and weeds, geneticallyengineered crops have led to the emergence of insectsand weeds resistant to the usual insecticides andherbicides .... A few weeks ago we examined theproblem of increased insecticide use; this week we willexamine the picture emerging around increasingherbicide use.The purpose of inserting the gene to make a cropherbicide resistant is so that the crops can then beweeded by using that particular herbicide (in order todecrease the involvement of human labor). The cropsthemselves become resistant because of the gene that wasinserted into them. So even when the herbicide is killingall around it, the crop with the inserted gene will stilllive.Monsanto, the company who is believed to own 90% ofgenetically engineered seeds, has made most of themdependent on the herbicide Roundup, which they alsosell. These crops are called Roundup ready. Roundup isthe most widely used herbicide in the history of theContinued on page 6766-- Traditional African Clinic July 2013