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> farmers watch the wind and won't spray when drift is an issue Do they really? Never seem my neighbours being particularly picky about wind conditions. > the
by Y-bar 1y ago
> farmers watch the wind and won't spray when drift is an issue
Do they really? Never seem my neighbours being particularly picky about wind conditions.
> the epa requires this in the us and they look at drift before approving spray
Putting aside the current grave gutting of the agency in question, do they really inspect each usage on a regular basis or is it a pinky promise?
> this has only happened when someone sprays their crop thus killing anything that isn't gmo
That's a primary problem which is already happening as linked previously in the discussion, it essentially forces a mono-supplier and a mono-culture.
- pfdietz 1y agoIt doesn't force a mono-supplier, since existing seeds are not suddenly made unavailable when new seeds are brought to market.
- Y-bar 1y agoIt has on multiple occasions as linked elsewhere in this discussion, made usage of anything other than a specific vendor's strain unusable. That is a textbook type 1.B. mono-supplier condition.
- pfdietz 1y agoYeah, I call bullshit on that claim. The only way something like this could become required would be if it's so much more performant that farmers would have no choice. But that would mean it's creating so much extra value the farmers still come out ahead. How is this a bad thing? In no scenario is it possible for the introduction of a new variety to force farmers to make a decision that leaves them worse off than some other decision they could make.
- Y-bar 1y agoIt's been mentioned about a dozen times already, you should have read it already. Again: It is the _combination_ of a custom crop and pest/herbicides which has a clear tendency to contaminate nearby farms, making the only viable crop the custom crop which has been engineered to withstand that specific treatment.
- pfdietz 1y agoThe contamination issue was also a ridiculous red herring. So, no, you don't have any real argument here. It's all the usual rationalization of irrational GMO hatred.
- Y-bar 1y agoOH MY GOD! Today I learned that I, who generally like GMO, is actually exhibiting "irrational GMO hatred" when I don't even argue against the usage of GMO, but instead argue against the problematic usage of herbicide and pesticide which has externalities which are not properly accounted for and guarded against! You have also convinced me that facts and studies on the subject matters not, and that your, let me count them, zero sources, are better! Do you have any other wisdom to spare from below the bridge?
- MostlyStable 1y agoWe have a small-ish farm in Oregon. We religiously watch the wind before spraying for two reasons: 1) Chemicals are extremely expensive and chemicals that drift off the field are wasted, not to mention that in high winds you can't be confident in good coverage (unless you just dramatically increase your spray amount, which, see again re: cost). 2) Despite our extreme care, we have had regulatory bodies called on us by neighbours about drift (investigation exonerated us). Thus we have both an internal, selfish reason to not spray during high wands and an external reason to not spray during high winds. I can't speak to other areas of the country (let alone the world) or other kinds of farming.
- Suppafly 1y ago>Do they really? Never seem my neighbours being particularly picky about wind conditions. You really think they don't consider how to effectively apply the expensive chemicals that increase their profits by a ton?
- Y-bar 1y agoYou made me looking back at historical wind patterns in my county and last year they sprayed it was 12m/s SSW (Beaufort 6) the day I remember they sprayed.