Pesticides Make a Comeback
Many Corn Farmers Go Back to Using Chemicals as Mother Nature Outwits Genetically Modified Seeds

Aaron Gassmann/Iowa State University

Insecticide sales are surging after years of decline, as American farmers plant more corn and a genetic modification designed to protect the crop from pests has started to lose its effectiveness.

The sales are a boon for big pesticide makers, such as American Vanguard Corp. AVD +0.93% and Syngenta SYNN.VX -0.47% AG. But it has sparked fresh concerns among environmental groups and some scientists that one of the most widely touted benefits of genetically modified crops—that they reduce the need for chemical pest control—is unraveling. At the same time, the resurgence of insecticides could expose both farmers and beneficial insects to potential harm.

Until recently, corn farmers in the U.S. had largely abandoned soil insecticides, thanks mostly to a widely adopted genetic trait developed by Monsanto Co. MON -1.61% that causes corn seeds to generate their own pest-killing toxins, but which the Environmental Protection Agency says doesn't hurt humans.

The modified seeds, first introduced in 2003, proved to be largely effective against the corn rootworm, a voracious bug that is the main scourge of the nation's largest crop. Today, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, two-thirds of all corn grown in the U.S. includes a rootworm-targeting gene known as Bt.

As more farmers switched to the modified seed, the share of corn acreage treated with insecticide fell to 9% in 2010, the most recent year for which data are available, from 25% in 2005, according to USDA data. Those farmers who continued to use insecticide applied less in 2010, the data showed.

In 2011, however, entomologists at Iowa State University and the University of Illinois started to document rootworms that were immune to the Monsanto gene, and have found these resistant pests scattered across the Midwest. Now, many farmers have decided they need to spray their soil to kill any rootworms that have developed Bt resistance, as well as growing populations of other pests.

Scott Greenlee, who farms 1,700 acres in Sac City, Iowa, said he planned to start using a soil insecticide this year after part of his crop succumbed to rootworms in 2012. The 53-year-old Mr. Greenlee, who had planted Monsanto's Bt corn, said the affected fields produced just 50 or 60 bushels per acre, about a third of his normal yield. "It was a train wreck," he added.

Also driving insecticide use is the rising share of farmland planted to corn, as farmers seek to take advantage of corn prices that are about double their historic norms. U.S. farmers planted 97 million acres of corn last year, the most since the 1930s and up from 75.7 million in 2001.

The government doesn't track insecticide use annually, but U.S.-based American Vanguard and FMC Corp. FMC -0.51% and Switzerland-based Syngenta, which account for more than three-quarters of the market for soil pesticides, reported significantly higher sales last year and in early 2013.

Syngenta, one of the world's largest pesticide makers, reported that sales of its major soil insecticide for corn, which is applied at planting time, more than doubled in 2012. Chief Financial Officer John Ramsay attributed the growth to "increased grower awareness" of rootworm resistance in the U.S. Insecticide sales in the first quarter climbed 5% to $480 million.

American Vanguard bought a series of insecticide companies and technologies during the past decade, betting that insecticide demand would return as Bt corn started losing its effectiveness. In the past couple of years, that wager has paid off.

The Newport Beach, Calif., company reported that its soil-insecticide revenue jumped 50% in 2012, and company earnings climbed 70% as its stock price doubled. Its insecticide sales rose 41% in the first quarter to $79 million, with gains driven by corn insecticide.

FMC, based in Philadelphia, reported a 9% increase in first-quarter sales in its agricultural business, which includes insecticides and herbicides, following a 20% increase in the fourth quarter. The gains are due in part to concerns about resistance, company officials said.

"The whole industry has seen a resurgence," said Aaron Locker, marketing director for FMC, which has annual revenue of more than $3 billion.

Monsanto, the world's largest seed company by sales, became the first company to sell rootworm-resistant corn to farmers a decade ago and has licensed the Bt gene to other seed makers.

In approving the original Monsanto product, the EPA said reduced insecticide use was one of the "significant benefits." The seed, the EPA said, would "provide the grower and other occupational workers greater safety, protect water bodies from [agricultural] runoff and mitigate" potential harm to birds and other organisms.

Monsanto said it continues to recommend that farmers rotate their fields from corn to other crops, such as soybeans, which "breaks the rootworm cycle." The St. Louis company also said it and other companies are selling seeds with more than one rootworm-resistant trait.

Scientists have confirmed rootworm resistance only to the Monsanto seed that includes just one rootworm trait. Monsanto is phasing out that seed in favor of a multiple-trait version. And Monsanto says it is developing new technology to fight rootworms, which it hopes to put on the market by the end of the decade.

But some scientists say rootworm resistance could be a persistent problem. The EPA has said that rootworms that have developed resistance to Monsanto's first trait are more likely to develop resistance to other rootworm traits as well.

Crop consultants and researchers said the population of pests other than rootworm has increased in many parts of the Midwest because farmers are planting corn every year, and because some stopped using pesticides altogether after adopting Monsanto's Bt corn, even though it isn't designed to kill pests other than rootworms.

"When Bt hybrids were introduced, one upside was a reduction in soil insecticides," said Michael Gray, an entomologist at the University of Illinois. "Some of those gains are quickly being reversed."

Mr. Gray, in surveys this past winter, found that roughly 50% of corn farmers planned to use both the Bt seed and a soil insecticide. He found that about a quarter of them planned to use insecticide as "cheap insurance" against the possibility of pest problem.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323463704578496923254944066.html

Pesticides Make a Comeback
Many Corn Farmers Go Back to Using Chemicals as Mother Nature Outwits Genetically Modified Seeds

Aaron Gassmann/Iowa State University

Insecticide sales are surging after years of decline, as American farmers plant more corn and a genetic modification designed to protect the crop from pests has started to lose its effectiveness.

The sales are a boon for big pesticide makers, such as American Vanguard Corp. AVD +0.93% and Syngenta SYNN.VX -0.47% AG. But it has sparked fresh concerns among environmental groups and some scientists that one of the most widely touted benefits of genetically modified crops—that they reduce the need for chemical pest control—is unraveling. At the same time, the resurgence of insecticides could expose both farmers and beneficial insects to potential harm.

Until recently, corn farmers in the U.S. had largely abandoned soil insecticides, thanks mostly to a widely adopted genetic trait developed by Monsanto Co. MON -1.61% that causes corn seeds to generate their own pest-killing toxins, but which the Environmental Protection Agency says doesn't hurt humans.

The modified seeds, first introduced in 2003, proved to be largely effective against the corn rootworm, a voracious bug that is the main scourge of the nation's largest crop. Today, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, two-thirds of all corn grown in the U.S. includes a rootworm-targeting gene known as Bt.

As more farmers switched to the modified seed, the share of corn acreage treated with insecticide fell to 9% in 2010, the most recent year for which data are available, from 25% in 2005, according to USDA data. Those farmers who continued to use insecticide applied less in 2010, the data showed.

In 2011, however, entomologists at Iowa State University and the University of Illinois started to document rootworms that were immune to the Monsanto gene, and have found these resistant pests scattered across the Midwest. Now, many farmers have decided they need to spray their soil to kill any rootworms that have developed Bt resistance, as well as growing populations of other pests.

Scott Greenlee, who farms 1,700 acres in Sac City, Iowa, said he planned to start using a soil insecticide this year after part of his crop succumbed to rootworms in 2012. The 53-year-old Mr. Greenlee, who had planted Monsanto's Bt corn, said the affected fields produced just 50 or 60 bushels per acre, about a third of his normal yield. "It was a train wreck," he added.

Also driving insecticide use is the rising share of farmland planted to corn, as farmers seek to take advantage of corn prices that are about double their historic norms. U.S. farmers planted 97 million acres of corn last year, the most since the 1930s and up from 75.7 million in 2001.

The government doesn't track insecticide use annually, but U.S.-based American Vanguard and FMC Corp. FMC -0.51% and Switzerland-based Syngenta, which account for more than three-quarters of the market for soil pesticides, reported significantly higher sales last year and in early 2013.

Syngenta, one of the world's largest pesticide makers, reported that sales of its major soil insecticide for corn, which is applied at planting time, more than doubled in 2012. Chief Financial Officer John Ramsay attributed the growth to "increased grower awareness" of rootworm resistance in the U.S. Insecticide sales in the first quarter climbed 5% to $480 million.

American Vanguard bought a series of insecticide companies and technologies during the past decade, betting that insecticide demand would return as Bt corn started losing its effectiveness. In the past couple of years, that wager has paid off.

The Newport Beach, Calif., company reported that its soil-insecticide revenue jumped 50% in 2012, and company earnings climbed 70% as its stock price doubled. Its insecticide sales rose 41% in the first quarter to $79 million, with gains driven by corn insecticide.

FMC, based in Philadelphia, reported a 9% increase in first-quarter sales in its agricultural business, which includes insecticides and herbicides, following a 20% increase in the fourth quarter. The gains are due in part to concerns about resistance, company officials said.

"The whole industry has seen a resurgence," said Aaron Locker, marketing director for FMC, which has annual revenue of more than $3 billion.

Monsanto, the world's largest seed company by sales, became the first company to sell rootworm-resistant corn to farmers a decade ago and has licensed the Bt gene to other seed makers.

In approving the original Monsanto product, the EPA said reduced insecticide use was one of the "significant benefits." The seed, the EPA said, would "provide the grower and other occupational workers greater safety, protect water bodies from [agricultural] runoff and mitigate" potential harm to birds and other organisms.

Monsanto said it continues to recommend that farmers rotate their fields from corn to other crops, such as soybeans, which "breaks the rootworm cycle." The St. Louis company also said it and other companies are selling seeds with more than one rootworm-resistant trait.

Scientists have confirmed rootworm resistance only to the Monsanto seed that includes just one rootworm trait. Monsanto is phasing out that seed in favor of a multiple-trait version. And Monsanto says it is developing new technology to fight rootworms, which it hopes to put on the market by the end of the decade.

But some scientists say rootworm resistance could be a persistent problem. The EPA has said that rootworms that have developed resistance to Monsanto's first trait are more likely to develop resistance to other rootworm traits as well.

Crop consultants and researchers said the population of pests other than rootworm has increased in many parts of the Midwest because farmers are planting corn every year, and because some stopped using pesticides altogether after adopting Monsanto's Bt corn, even though it isn't designed to kill pests other than rootworms.

"When Bt hybrids were introduced, one upside was a reduction in soil insecticides," said Michael Gray, an entomologist at the University of Illinois. "Some of those gains are quickly being reversed."

Mr. Gray, in surveys this past winter, found that roughly 50% of corn farmers planned to use both the Bt seed and a soil insecticide. He found that about a quarter of them planned to use insecticide as "cheap insurance" against the possibility of pest problem.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323463704578496923254944066.html

Decades-old question: Is antibacterial soap safe?
By MATTHEW PERRONE
 …
WASHINGTON (AP) — It's a chemical that's been in U.S. households for more than 40 years, from the body wash in your bathroom shower to the knives on your kitchen counter to the bedding in your baby's basinet.

But federal health regulators are just now deciding whether triclosan — the germ-killing ingredient found in an estimated 75 percent of antibacterial liquid soaps and body washes sold in the U.S. — is ineffective, or worse, harmful.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is planning to deliver a review this year of whether triclosan is safe. The ruling, which will determine whether triclosan continues to be used in household cleaners, could have implications for a $1 billion industry that includes hundreds of antibacterial products from toothpaste to toys.

The agency's review comes amid growing pressure from lawmakers, consumer advocates and others who are concerned about the safety of triclosan. Recent studies of triclosan in animals have led scientists to worry that it could increase the risk of infertility, early puberty and other hormone-related problems in humans.

"To me it looks like the risks outweigh any benefit associated with these products right now," said Allison Aiello, professor at the University of Michigan's School of Public Health. "At this point, it's just looking like a superfluous chemical."

http://news.yahoo.com/decades-old-anti-bacterial-soap-safe-163623053.html

A Louisville medical center study found that snacking on raisins three times daily could reduce BP among those in a prehypertension group. Amazingly, they even used processed food snacks containing raisins.

A Florida State University study found that watermelon lowers BP. In addition to watermelon's potassium contribution, they found a specific amino acid that contributes to lowering BP.

http://projectagentorange.com/simplemachinesforum/index.php?topic=9.msg4355#msg4355

Foods that can help reduce high blood pressure
by PF Louis

(1) Cayenne is in chili peppers. Using those with food is good for reducing blood pressure, even though it may not feel that way.

Herbal masters Dr. Christopher and Dr. Schulz recommend taking a teaspoon of at least 40,000 heat units of cayenne pepper powder mixed in water two times daily to support complete heart health and more.

(2) Hibiscus or Jamaica (hu-my-ca) tea on ice is well known as a refreshing beverage in the Caribbean islands, South America, and Mexico. It has been clinically proven to lower high BP. You can dowse the flame out of your mouth from cayenne with a Jamaica iced tea and double the benefits.

Dried hibiscus flower petals are used to make the tea. Some health food stores may have them. Stores specializing in Hispanic foods most likely will. Or you can order them online.

To prepare: Simply cover the bottom of a large pan thickly with the petals, then pour hot (not boiling) water over them. Cover and let it steep for a half hour. Strain while pouring into a glass container then refrigerate and use when desired.

(3) A Louisville medical center study found that snacking on raisins three times daily could reduce BP among those in a prehypertension group. Amazingly, they even used processed food snacks containing raisins. [2]

(4) The American Heart Association has discovered through research that eating three kiwis a day reduces BP.

(5) The American Chemical Society claims purple root vegetables, such as purple potatoes, have chemical properties that reduce BP.

(6) A Florida State University study found that watermelon lowers BP. In addition to watermelon's potassium contribution, they found a specific amino acid that contributes to lowering BP. [2]

(7) Speaking of potassium, don't forget to eat bananas. The Harvard Medical School reported a UK study that determined foods containing potassium nitrate were even better than supplements using potassium chloride for lowering BP.

( Hawthorne berries have both herbalists and mainstream medicos agreeing on its blood pressure lowering ability. Its tea has been a Chinese household heart tonic for centuries. If you can't find a Chinese food specialty store, go online or use Hawthorne extract supplements. Details here (http://www.naturalnews.com/035685_hawthorn_berries_heart_health.html).

(9) We can't forget chocolate, can we? It should be organic and dark or bittersweet without milk and with very little sugar. Yes, it has been researched; there are compounds in cacao that dilate blood vessels and lower blood pressure (http://www.naturalnews.com).

Sources for this article include:

[2] http://www.huffingtonpost.com

http://www.1in3people.com/facts/index.jsp

http://www.webmd.com/hypertension-high-blood-pressure/guide/dash-diet

A Poem by Nguyen Van Luat

http://adaysencounter.wordpress.com/2013/04/16/young-bud/

A Poem by Nguyen Van Luat

Chồi tơ

Tình em sưởi ấm mùa xuấn trẻ,
Mang nắng chan hòa nhuộm sắc hoa.
Anh muốn gom mưa từ bốn bể
Để em tưới mát những chồi tơ!

Young Bud

Your feeling warms Young Spring Season
As overflowing sunlight multi-colours flowers!
I would like to bring rainfall from Four Oceans
Supporting you in irrigating forest buds by fresh water!

Why eating greens is important:

http://projectagentorange.com/simplemachinesforum/index.php?topic=127.msg4268#msg4268

Why eating greens is important:

http://projectagentorange.com/simplemachinesforum/index.php?topic=127.msg4268#msg4268

The Importance of Eating Your Greens

Researchers at Walter and Eliza Hall Institute's Molecular Immunology division have discovered that a gene, called T-bet, which is essential for producing critical immune cells in your gut, responds to the food you eat-specifically leafy green vegetables. According to the press release:

     "The immune cells, named innate lymphoid cells (ILCs), are found in the lining of the digestive system and protect the body from 'bad' bacteria in the intestine.

     They are also believed to play an important role in controlling food allergies, inflammatory diseases and obesity, and may even prevent the development of bowel cancers.

     ... [T]he research team revealed T-bet was essential for generating a subset of ILCs which is a newly discovered cell type that protects the body against infections entering through the digestive system.

     'In this study, we discovered that T-bet is the key gene that instructs precursor cells to develop into ILCs, which it does in response to signals in the food we eat and to bacteria in the gut,' Dr Belz said. 'ILCs are essential for immune surveillance of the digestive system and this is the first time that we have identified a gene responsible for the production of ILCs.'"

Berries and other fruits--how they make us healthier:

http://projectagentorange.com/simplemachinesforum/index.php?topic=127.msg4264#msg4264

Can this be a way to decrease the chances of developing cancer?

http://projectagentorange.com/simplemachinesforum/index.php?topic=127.msg4264#msg4264

A way to decrease cancer?

http://projectagentorange.com/simplemachinesforum/index.php?topic=127.msg4264#msg4264

Topic: Antioxidant Activity of Various Fruits 

Reference: "Cellular antioxidant activity of common fruits," Wolfe KL, Kang X, et al, J Agric Food Chem, 2008; 24(56): 8418-26. (Address: Department of Food Science and Institute of Comparative and Environmental Toxicology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853-7201, USA). 

Summary: In a study testing the antioxidant activity of various fruit, wild blueberries were found to have the highest cellular antioxidant activity (CAA), while bananas and melons were found to have the lowest. Pomegranates and other berries (blackberry, raspberry, and blueberry) were also found to have high levels of CAA. In terms of the American diet, apples were found to be the largest contributor of fruit phenolics to the diet, and both apples and strawberries contributed the most CAA to the American diet. The authors conclude, "Increasing fruit consumption is a logical strategy to increase antioxidant intake and decrease oxidative stress and may lead to reduced risk of cancer."

natural cleaner

http://screen.yahoo.com/spring-cleaning-cleaning-products-050000740.html

This makes me mad:

Exxon has some gall. The company is running a slick ad calling on the US to invest more in education, while it’s skipping out on half its tax bill, costing our country billions annually.

Exxon knows the benefits of government investment in education, but the company doesn’t want to pay for it. Instead, it’s paying millions for ads calling for us to pump more money into education. “The more you invest in teachers, the better our students will perform.”

Well, we’ve got a solution for Exxon. If the world’s most profitable company paid its full tax bill, the Department of Education could increase its budget a whopping 14%. That's why we're partnering with RootsAction to tell Exxon it’s time to put its money where its mouth is and invest in education.

Exxon: Put your money where your mouth is and invest in teachers. Donate your ducked taxes to the Department of Education.

The corporate income tax rate is 35%. Thanks to creative use of loopholes and subsidies, Exxon pays nearly a third of that. This leaves billions on the table at a time when we need every dollar. It's time to put serious pressure on Exxon to pay the six billion dollars in taxes it’s been ducking out on since 2008.

CEOs are starting to see what their dogged tax avoidance is actually buying them -- a weaker country with not enough money for vital infrastructure and basic education. Exxon knows the importance of investing in education -- and after making over $100,000,000 in profits every single day in in 2012, the behemoth is one of the few institutions to actually be able to put its money where its mouth is, and make the investment in education that our students deserve.

Thank you for being one of us,

Kaytee, Claiborne and the team at SumOfUs.org