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By Leon Emo - The Madera Tribune

In the 21st century, pesticide use has become a safer and more valued entity for farmers hoping to harvest the maximum and most profitable yield from their crops. In the middle part of the 20th century, such was not always the case.

The 1950s saw aerial application of chemicals become the standard for protecting fields from pests, weeds, mite and mildew. Pilots, in renovated biplanes left from World War II, dusted and sprayed deadly pesticides from DDT and Parathion to Sulfur. Farmers purchased land roving spray and dust machines that, with each pass through a row, killed everything in, on and around the leafs of the plant.

David Loquaci, a farmer whose family has tilled the land of Madera County for five generations, remembers this scorched earth policy of decades ago.

"They were broad organic chemicals that killed everything in the field, the good guys and the bad guys," Loquaci said.

In 1965, Rachel Carson wrote a book titled "Silent Spring." A photo of a crop duster was published to promote her writing. The caption read: "Can you believe it is possible to lay down a barrage of poisons on the surface of the earth without making it unfit for all life?"

Suddenly crop dusting, now called aerial chemical application, and farmers using ground equipment, came under strict state and federal guidelines.

In 1972, use of DDT was banned except for control of vector diseases in quarantined areas. Other pesticides such as parathion, toxaphene, and 2 and 4-D were either banned or placed under strict guidelines.

When it comes to rules, local farmer and chemical applicator Jim Erickson said, "California and Florida have the toughest regulations and the feds are just now catching up.

"Our state is far ahead of the federal government and today, manufacturers and farmers are both safety and environmentally conscience," Erickson said.

Technology has produced a much safer product not only for the user, but for those consuming the product of the farmer as well.

"Today's farmers believe in sustainable agriculture," Loquaci said. Unlike those applied by air and ground machines years ago, "Today's chemicals are target specific," Loquaci said.

"If you want to rid your crop of worms, now, low toxicity materials kill only worms and leave the good guys alone," he said.

With continued regulation, stiff penalties for misuse and most importantly, the help of farmers in the safe and conscientious application of these chemicals, the citizens of Madera, the nation and the world can be assured that they are consuming a product that is beneficial and harmless.

Leon Emo Columnist, Correspondent, Photographer Contact him at leon_emo (at) yahoo.com The Madera Tribune online subscription To subscribe or log on, CLICK HERE. For more information first, CLICK HERE.