Growth and Poverty Mailing List Archive

["Dick Tinsley" <<address removed>>]

I last more personal comment.  To the person who was suggesting promoting 
herbicides as a replacement for my emphasis on mechanization.  Please note you 
can not worry about weeding until you first get the crop planted.  Thus it is 
far more important to expedite initial crop establishment.  This is always done 
against a decline yield potential with any delays.  Expedite crop establishment 
and the farmers will have more time for weeding and other mid-season management 
needs.

Second, I thought we were interested in getting away from chemicals as being 
environmentally undesirable.

Third, herbicide use is very sensitive with only a couple days opportunity 
either before or after planting to be effective and also application sensitive 
as too little is ineffective and too much toxic to the crop.  This precision 
application is very difficult with the back pack sprayers and wand applicators 
commonly available to smallholders.  Herbicides have never been widely accepted 
by most smallholders.

Dick