Farmers are expected to have a better working knowledge of the chemicals that they are using for their crops.
A plant clinic to deal with pest and disease is carded to get underway here on Thursday.
The plant clinic, which is being organized by the Dominica Agricultural Producers and Exporters Limited (DAPEX), will also deal with methods of control while maintaining the health and safety requirements for consumers.
“It is expected to deal with pest and disease problems faced by farmers and home gardeners and methods of control while maintaining health and safer requirements. They must know how to identify pest at an early stage and be knowledgeable of the treatment to be used and at the time of application,” sales representative of DAPEX Nelson Simon pointed out.
He said at the end of the clinic farmers will know when to use the chemicals. He also stated that some people wait until they see the effect of chemical on their crops, and by that time it is too late to take control of it.
The clinic will commence from 8-1 p.m. at DAPAEX’s location on the Fond Cole highway.
IPM (Integrated Pest Management) is key. Many of our top farmers have past away a little too soon. Their knowledge and contribution should be recorded and this basic knowledge should be transported to future generations.
As a member of the Pesticide Control Board, I have made several attempts to ban several of these chemicals (Which are banned by the International Community), but because we do not have the necessary alternatives that our farmers can apply and research is limited or non -existent, we are forced to continue killing of our sons and daughters of the soil.
One must note chemicals like Paraquate that causes leukemia and other related shin cancers, have dealt a deadly blow to our farming community. Organic research is a must and sensitization and awareness must be in the forefront to educate our faming community. Paraquate and other related strains of this chemical is made in Germany, but it is banned in that country, but their over stock piles are being sold cheap on the market to third world countries like ours.
Chemical control should be our last option and you are correct that Biological control is within our reach but no funds are allocated to research within the ministry of Agriculture. We also need to sensitize our politicians, some of which are importers of these deadly chemicals, and who are trained Agronomist, that profits are insignificant as compared to the lives and knowledge that we loose everyday in our agro sector.
Nature Island Farms has a comprehensive approach to revamp the agriculture sector in Dominica once and for all. We are blessed with the technical resource but we need the support and guidance of our leaders and Government to make this become a reality.
As a trained Agronomist myself, I would encourage that you try to speak or write better because when you drop your application and say that “I go drop”, I guarantee that you will not get a chance to share your knowledge. Please try to be professional as a future Scientist.
EVALUATION OF THE EFFECT OF LIGHT AND TEMPERATURE ON THE QUALITY PARAMETERS OF STRAINS Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae.
my thesis topic
DAPAEX … if you want to stop the use of checmials need to promote the use of Beauveriana and Metarizium in Dominica …. this fungus are the key …. you guys need to fund research in biological control of pest and diseases…. i am coming home soon … so i go drop an aplication on your door step.
I really appreciate this; consumer safety is key.