Fungus isolated from Endosulfan applied soil degrades dieldrin, heptachlor, heptachlor epoxide, endosulfan, endosulfan sulfate, DDT, and DDE

Scientists from Japan have isolated fungus Mucor racemosus strain DDF from a soil to which endosulfan had been annually applied for more than 10 years. Strain DDF degraded not only dieldrin but also heptachlor, heptachlor epoxide, endosulfan, endosulfan sulfate, DDT, and DDE. These results suggest that strain DDF could be a candidate for the bioremediation of sites contaminated with various persistent organochlorine pesticides including POPs.

Source: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20704234

Environ Sci Technol. 2010 Aug 15;44(16):6343-6349.

EFFECT OF ENDOSULFAN ON SOIL RESPIRATION

A peer reviewed article is published in Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment. 138:181-188. Publication Date: June 16, 2010

A field study was initiated at the United States Department of Agriculture, Subtropical Horticulture Research Station in Miami, FL to examine the effects of endosulfan on soil respiration. Treatments were repeated four times and the study continued over three growing seasons. Respiration from bare soil was similar to that from fields planted to snap bean implying soil microbes were the dominant source of CO2 compared to root respiration.

Endosulfan applications resulted in inconsistent increases in soil respiration. Increases were short-lived. By the end of the study soil respiration was higher in endosulfan treated than untreated plots. Endosulfan had a short-lived inhibitory effect on soil fungi, but bacteria increased in number in response to endosulfan applications.

It is concluded that some bacterial species decomposed the endosulfan and rapidly multiplied causing the increase bacterial colony count. In general there were no adverse effects of endosulfan on soil respiration.

SOURCE: http://www.ars.usda.gov/research/publications/Publications.htm?seq_no_115=241192

Endosulfan EPA Proposal _ Grower's Views

EPA’s proposed actions to ban Endosulfan could have a significant effect on Arizona vegetable and melon growers because of the cost-effective insect control benefits provided by the timely use of endosulfan. Endosulfan is very important in IPM programs because of its broad spectrum, quick knockdown contact activity against the adult life stage of several insect species including whiteflies, aphids, thrips, flea beetles, bagrada bugs, etc.

Although many new alternatives have been claimed to become available over the past several years, most of these active ingredients have very narrow activity against specific insect species and their life stages.

"Endosulfan will be particularly missed in the desert on fall melons, where to date endosulfan combinations have provided the adult whitefly control necessary to reduce cucurbit yellow stunting disorder virus infection.
Contact Palumbo: (928) 782-3836 or jpalumbo@ag.arizona.edu "

http://westernfarmpress.com/vegetables/arizona-vegetable-ipm-update-0618/

Endosulfan Pesticides US EPA

Scott Rawlins, MANA director of global governmental and industry relations said that key uses of Endosulfan are still eligible for re-registration. "However, given the fact that the endosulfan market is quite small and the cost of developing and submitting additional data high, we have decided to voluntarily negotiate an agreement with EPA that provides growers with an adequate time frame to find alternatives for the damaging insect pests currently controlled by endosulfan," Rawlins said.

http://www.farmchemicalsinternational.com/news/cropprotection/?storyid=2599

Why Endosulfan is soft to bees and beneficial insects?

Many species of beneficial insects and bees can detoxify Endosulfan due to Glutathione-S-Transferase (GST) system. This system conjugates the molecule of Endosulfan to glutathione and hence it is not available for binding with the target GABA receptors. Luckily, Glutathione-S-Transferase system has either low or no activity in target pests. Thus, use of Endosulfan presents advantage of being effective to target pest, but at the same time, it is soft to bees and beneficial insects.

Minister’s Journey From Cabinet to Endosulfan

According to a report in the newspaper “The Hindu”, the former Karnataka Minister for Rural Development Ms. Shobha Karandlaje was forced to resign from the Karnataka Cabinet. http://beta.thehindu.com/news/national/article76803.ece

She has taken up a new role as a leader of a campaign for a nationwide ban on endosulfan. According to the newspaper, Ms. Shobha Karandlaje said that people in the Puttur and Belthangdi taluks were suffering from cancer, diseases affecting the central nervous system, skin diseases, respiratory disorders, eye problems and impotency, all of which could be linked to the use of the pesticide.

Endosulfan is neither mutagenic nor carcinogenic. In fact there is an evidence of non-carcinogenicity for humans and hence Endosulfan is classified under Class-E by US Environment Protection Agency (US EPA).

Endosulfan is being used in many countries including Australia, India and USA. This is because it is soft to bees and beneficial insects and it is important in integrated pest management. It is also effective in resistance management. Moreover, Endosulfan is an off-patent generic molecule available to farmer at an affordable price.

Evaluation of Suggestions

Endosulfan is an off-patent, generic pesticide available to farmers at an affordable price. Since the product is off-patent, there cannot be any monopoly, as a result of which it is available to farmers at a low price.

Endosulfan is a molecule effective on target pests and at the same time, it is soft to non-target beneficial insects and bees. It is also useful in pesticide resistance management and very useful in IPM programmes. This has made Endosulfan very popular among farmers. Those who have used it in an “appropriate manner” are benefited.

No other molecule exhibits all advantages of Endosulfan, considering effectiveness and economic feasibility.

If Endosulfan is not available, farmers will have to use more than one products, and that too in larger proportion to achieve an equivalent effectiveness. Moreover, since the other products will have to be used in a comparatively much larger proportion, it will in fact add to environmental load.

The activists who propose to ban Endosulfan have not evaluated effectiveness and economic feasibility of alternatives. They simply say that there are alternatives to Endosulfan, but they have not even evaluated them.

Activists also suggest that we can do without any pesticide. This is not feasible at the scale required to be handled. If this was possible, farmers would not have used pesticides as it only adds to cost. Needless to say, what number of people are to be provided with adequate food?

Activists are benefited by giving such suggestions. There are companies/organizations which provide funds for such activities. All done at the cost of farmers and those who struggle for food.