WILD ATTRACTION WILD ATTRACTION - Earthstar

Herbs Can Be Natural PesticidesCommon herbs and spices showpromise as an environmentallyfriendlyalternative to conventionalpesticides, scientists have told amajor US conference.They have spent a decade researchingthe insecticidal properties of rosemary,thyme, clove and mint, whichcould become a key weapon againstinsect pests in organic agriculture, theresearchers say, as the industry attemptsto satisfy demand.The “plant essential oils” have abroad range of action against bugs.Some kill them outright while othersrepel them.Details were presented at the FallMeeting of the American ChemicalSociety (ACS) in Washington DC.These new pesticides are generallya mixture of tiny amounts of two to fourdifferent herbs diluted in water.The research was led by Dr MurrayIsman, from the University of BritishColumbia in Vancouver, Canada.Some spice-based commercialproducts now being used by farmershave already shown success in protectingorganic strawberry, spinach, and tomatocrops against destructive aphids andmites, Dr Isman explained.“These products expand the limitedarsenal of organic growers to combatpests,” he said. “They’re still only asmall piece of the insecticide market,but they’re growing and gainingmomentum.”Unlike conventional pesticides,these “killer spices” do not require morelimited approval from regulatory bodiesand are readily available.An additional advantage is thatinsects are less likely to evolve resistance—theability to shrug off onceeffectivetoxins—Isman says.They’re also safer for farm workers,who are at high risk for pesticide exposure,he notes. But the herb-based pesticidesalso have shortcomings.Since the essential oils made fromthese herbs tend to evaporate quicklyand degrade rapidly in sunlight, farmersneed to apply them to crops more frequentlythan conventional pesticides.Earth Star Up FrontSome last only a few hours,compared to days or even months forconventional pesticides.As they are also generally lesspotent than conventional pesticides, theymust be applied in higher concentrationsto achieve acceptable levels of pestcontrol, Dr Isman said.Researchers are now seeking waysof making the novel pesticides longerlastingand more potent, he added.“They’re not a panacea for pestcontrol,” Dr Isman explained.Conventional pesticides are still themost effective way to control caterpillars,grasshoppers, beetles and otherlarge insects on commercial food crops,he added.“It comes down to what’s good forthe environment and what’s good forhuman health.” —BBC News45% O F DOCTORS MA Y QUIT OVER HEALTH CARE OVERHAULTwo of every three practicing physicians oppose themedical overhaul plan under consideration inWashington, and hundreds of thousands wouldthink about shutting down their practices or retiring early ifit were adopted, a new IBD/TIPP Poll has found.The poll contradicts the claims of not only the WhiteHouse, but also doctors’ own lobby—the powerfulAmerican Medical Association—both of which suggest themedical profession is behind the proposed overhaul.It also calls into question whether an overhaul is evendoable; seventy-two percent of the doctors polled disagreewith the administration's claim that the government cancover forty-seven million more people with better-qualitycare at lower cost.The IBD/TIPP Poll was conducted by mail the past twoweeks, with 1,376 practicing physicians chosen randomlythroughout the country taking part. Responses are still comingin, and doctors’ positions on related topics—includingthe impact of an overhaul on senior care, medical schoolapplications and drug development—will be covered later inthis series.Major findings included:• Two-thirds, or sixty-five percent, of doctors say they opposethe proposed government expansion plan. This contradicts theadministration's claims that doctors are part of an “unprecedentedcoalition” supporting a medical overhaul.It also differs with findings of a poll released Mondayby National Public Radio that suggests a “majority of physicianswant public and private insurance options,” and clasheswith media reports such as Tuesday’s front-page story inthe Los Angeles Times with the headline “Doctors Go ForObama’s Reform.”Nowhere in the Times story does it say doctors as awhole back the overhaul. It says only that the AMA—the“association representing the nation's physicians” and what“many still regard as the country’s premier lobbyingforce”—is “lobbying and advertising to win public supportfor President Obama's sweeping plan.”The AMA, in fact, represents approximately eighteenpercent of physicians and has been hit with a number ofdefections by members opposed to the AMA’s support ofDemocrats’ proposed health care overhaul.• Four of nine doctors, or forty-five percent, said they“would consider leaving their practice or taking an earlyretirement” if Congress passes the plan the Democraticmajority and White House have in mind.More than 800,000 doctors were practicing in 2006, thegovernment says. Projecting the poll's finding onto that population,360,000 doctors would consider quitting.—Investors.comwww.earthstarmag.comOCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2009 EARTH STAR 5