From The Ground Up: Using pesticides, production tools properly
BRYAN, Texas (KBTX) – Pesticides are a significant part of the growing process.
Whether it’s a backyard garden or hundreds of acres of farmland, education on the proper use of pesticides is important to make sure food is safe for consumers.
Texas A&M Agrilife Extension Pesticide Safety Education Program Coordinator Don Renchie says he knows how important the proper use of production tools in the field is. Proper education also means debunking misinformation about pesticides.
“The average consumer thinks that there is more pesticides used in the production of food than there really are on an annual basis,” said Renchie. There are about 857 million pounds of pesticides used to produce all the crops, but there is more than 900 million pounds with just wood preservatives and another 2.6 billion pounds of water treatment chemicals.”
According to the World Health Organization the improper use of pesticides can cause adverse health effects like blisters, rashes, and even cancer.
It’s also important to use the proper amount of pesticide for the size of your plot.
“There’s not a lot of difference other than the fact that on a production basis, obviously, we’re going to use more because we’re covering more acreage. On a per capita basis, the consumer at home may be using more than we are simply because in many instances they aren’t properly educated,” said Renchie.
There has also been an overall trend of reduced risk from pesticides due to the USDA’s Pesticide Data Program including major improvements in science and data and an increase use of safer, less toxic pesticides.
“They’ve spent all their time making certain that all you had to do was go down to Kroger or over HEB and they were waiting on you in the cooler,” said Renchie. “We do have the safest food supply and most abundant food supply in the world.”
