2 Kinds Of High-Quality Insecticide Details For Banana

Most people like to eat Bananas, but pests are abhorrent to banana farmers. However, now a wide range of pesticides, bananas should choose what kind of insecticide it dose? Here are two kinds of banana premium insecticides.

1. Cicadae belongs to the Bacillus thuringiensis variants, this type of insecticidal bacteria on humans, animals, crops, aquatic crops non-toxic, better stability, and other pesticides can be mixed.

The bacteria on more than 150 kinds of insects, especially Lepidoptera insects have varying degrees of pathogenic and toxic killing effect, when pests eat such insecticidal bacteria, will soon stop feeding, nerve paralysis, insect body softening, Rotten stink death. Preparation of a WP (10 million live spores / g) and emulsion (10 billion live spores / ml) two, spray, dusting, poison soil and other means of administration, the commonly used dose of 50 grams per acre of powdered bacteria. If mixed pyrethroids or trichlorfon and other pesticides, there is a clear synergy. But can not be mixed with fungicides or systemic organophosphate pesticides. Apply the temperature above 30 ℃ the best, should be used with caution in the sericulture area.

2. Rattan fine root extract from the roots of Fu plant botanical insecticides, with contact and stomach poisoning effect on aphids and lepidopteran larvae better. For humans and animals, the crop is extremely safe, especially suitable for fruits, vegetables, tea, mulberry use, commonly used 2.5% fish rubber latex EC 500-800 times spray.

The above is a small series for everyone to introduce two kinds of high quality banana insecticide, I hope we can help prevent banana pests.

Just add water: how to take cuttings from houseplants

I am the crazy cat lady of the house plant world. I have so many of them. Closing the curtains has become quite the task, as you snake between specimens all vying for light. And yet I continue to take cuttings.
Many house plants are easily rooted in water. I love to watch roots grow, particularly in winter, when there’s something so cheering about a life so willing. Truth be known, it makes most sense to take cuttings in spring and summer. On top of that, cuttings taken in water are somewhat inferior to those taken in soil, in part because water doesn’t offer the most nutritious beginning. But that doesn’t stop me.
Philodendrons, begonias, tradescantia, pilea, peperomias, ctenanthe (but sadly not calathea) and rhipsalis are just a few of the types that will readily root in water.
In general, cuttings should be 10-15cm long – larger cuttings may take, but the ratio of stem to root often makes for a weak plant. Use a sharp knife or secateurs and cut just below where a leaf attaches to the stem, known as a node. If you leave a section of stem below the node, this will likely rot off.
As well as the lowest leaf, you may need to remove a few more, leaving just the top two or three. Essentially, any part of the cutting that sits in water should be free of leaves that will rot. Fetid water is not a nice place to start a life.
Also remove any flowers that are present, to prevent the cutting from developing seed, which will waste energy that would be better diverted to creating roots. And, again, the flowers may go mouldy and rot.
Little vases, water or milk bottles are ideal for rooting. If there is a wide neck, you may have to create some sort of mesh across the top so that the cutting doesn’t fall into the water. You can also have several cuttings together in one container.
Choose a smaller container than you’d imagine. The cutting will release hormones into the water to encourage rooting, and a great volume of water will dilute them, so that the process takes longer.
Rooting will generally occur in three to four weeks, though some begonias and pilea take much longer. Keep the cuttings somewhere bright and warm, and be patient. If a particular stem in a group of cuttings goes mushy and starts to rot, whip it out before it contaminates the rest. When there are numerous roots, 2-5cm long, the cutting is ready to be potted up.

Pot into pre-moistened potting compost in a suitably sized container with drainage, and keep the compost moist but not sodden until you see new growth. If the cutting grew in the water – and many do – it may be a good idea to prune it back a little when potting up. This will force new growth at the base and make for a bushier plant.

Pesticides linked to birth abnormalities in major new study

High exposure to pesticides as a result of living near farmers’ fields appears to increase the risk of giving birth to a baby with “abnormalities” by about 9 per cent, according to new research.
Researchers from the University of California, Santa Barbara, compared 500,000 birth records for people born in the San Joaquin Valley between 1997 and 2011 and levels of pesticides used in the area.

The average use of pesticides over that period was about 975kg for each 2.6sq km area per year.

But, for pregnant women in areas where 4,000kg of pesticides was used, the chance of giving birth prematurely rose by about 8 per cent and the chance of having a birth abnormality by about 9 per cent.

Writing in the journal Nature Communications, the researchers compared this to the 5 to 10 per cent increase adverse birth outcomes that can result from air pollution or extreme heat events.

“Concerns about the effects of harmful environmental exposure on birth outcomes have existed for decades,” they wrote.

“Great advances have been made in understanding the effects of smoking and air pollution, among others, yet research on the effects of pesticides has remained inconclusive.

“While environmental contaminants generally share the ethical and legal problems of evaluating the health consequences of exposure in a controlled setting and the difficulties associated with rare outcomes, pesticides present an additional challenge.
“Unlike smoking, which is observable, or even air pollution, for which there exists a robust network of monitors, publicly available pesticide use data are lacking for most of the world.”

They said exposure to pesticides varied greatly in the San Joaquin Valley, with more than half of the births in places where there were no pesticides used in the area.
“For most births, there is no statistically identifiable impact of pesticide exposure on birth outcome. Yet, for individuals in the top 5 per cent of exposure, pesticide exposure led to 5 to 9 per cent increases in adverse outcomes,” they said.
“The magnitude of effects was further enlarged for the top 1 per cent, where these extreme exposures (more than 11,000kg over gestation) led to an 11 per cent increased probability of preterm birth, 20 per cent increased probability of low birth weight, and about a 30g decrease in birth weight.

“For birth abnormalities, being in the high versus low pesticide exposure group for cumulative pesticide use over gestation increased the probability of a birth abnormality by about 9 per cent (5.8 per cent of births have a birth abnormality in this sample).”

Levels of pesticide use depended to a large degree on the types of crops being grown.

“Commodities such as grapes receive nearly 50kg per hectare per year of insecticides alone in the San Joaquin Valley region, while other high value crops such as pistachios receive barely one third of that amount,” the researchers said.
They were unable to isolate the roles of different chemicals used in the study.
“Doing so is extremely challenging, because many chemicals are used in conjunction or in close spatial or temporal windows,” the paper said.
Commenting on the study, Professor Alastair Hay, an environmental toxicologist at Leeds University, said it had been “very well conducted”.
“This study will be picked over carefully by regulatory agencies, as indeed it should be,” he said.

“The sheer size of the study, and the meticulous way it has been carried out, suggest that there is an environmental hazard for mothers resident in an area with large-scale pesticide usage and that investigation of measures to mitigate exposures to the chemicals are needed.”

He said it was not clear which pesticides had been used, but added that the study was “likely to have wide applicability in view of the type of crops sprayed”.
“And given that the risk is clearly in the area most heavily exposed – which you would expect to see if the problem were real – there are clear messages that mitigation measures are needed,” Professor Hay said.

Dr Christopher Connolly, a neurobiologist at Dundee University, said the study reported “a significant increase in adverse birth effects that relate to high level pesticide use”.

“However, the devil is in the detail, and the detail is missing – which pesticide(s) are responsible for these effects?” he said.

“This makes it important that the study is repeated with a detailed list of the chemicals used at each site and the impact on births correlated to individual pesticide (and cocktail) application.


“In the UK, the average total pesticide load in intensively managed arable fields is about 1.5 times higher than the average reported in this study area, but is 10-fold lower than the high pesticide load reported to correlate with adverse birth effects in this study.

Fertilizer industry representatives attend the UN Committee on World Food Security

Rome: 15 October 2015 – A fertilizer industry delegation led by Chairman Abdulrahman Jawahery and Director General Charlotte Hebebrand attended the 42nd session of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) in Rome this week.
The mission included a meeting with FAO Director General Graziano da Silva. During this meeting, Dr. Jawahery reiterated the industry’s commitment to increasing access to inputs and technology by smallholders “We believe that it is of utmost importance to continue developing a broad range of practical programs to improve smallholder access to inputs. This includes financing, of course, but it also comprises services to farmers in form of technologies and knowledge transfer.”
Mr. da Silva commended the private sector for playing a crucial role in achieving zero hunger and combatting malnutrition. The private sector’s commitment was also highlighted by the unprecedented attendance of over 140 delegates.
The IFA delegation had several bilaterals with country actors and participated in two side-events/ Charlotte Hebebrand spoke in a side-event on nutrition organized by the World Food Programme and the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) movement. Hebebrand presented several case-studies on micronutrient fertilization concluding that “Micronutrient fertilization is a simple, affordable and sustainable solution to contribute to eradicating deficiencies globally. This makes it a viable program which can be tailored to regional and national needs and implemented worldwide.”
In another event organized by the International Year of Soils Steering Committee, Hebebrand spoke to the merits of integrated soil fertility management and highlighted that “Soil testing is important so farmers can learn exactly how much of each nutrient is required to ensure balanced fertilization using locally available organic nutrients and mineral fertilizers. “
The voice of the fertilizer industry was also heard in Plenary where Dr. Jawahery delivered a compelling statement on Action on Food Insecurity in Protracted Crises. He stressed that “The private sector, is the biggest engine of poverty reduction and economic growth in the developing world and thus stands ready to contribute to securing food availability for people living in protracted crises”.

The IFA Chairman also hosted the High-Level Dinner which brought together business leaders and ambassadors, which provided a vibrant forum for discussion among private and public actors. IFA and its members have been actively engaging in the CFS through the Private Sector Mechanism. Moreover, IFA has developed a longstanding relationship with the Rome-Based Agencies and currently sits on the Steering Committee of the International Year of Soils.

How Are Additives Approved for Use in Foods?

Today, food and color additives are more strictly studied, regulated and monitored than at any other time in history. FDA has the primary legal responsibility for determining their safe use. To market a new food or color additive (or before using an additive already approved for one use in another manner not yet approved), a manufacturer or other sponsor must first petition FDA for its approval. These petitions must provide evidence that the substance is safe for the ways in which it will be used. As a result of recent legislation, since 1999, indirect additives have been approved via a premarket notification process requiring the same data as was previously required by petition.
When evaluating the safety of a substance and whether it should be approved, FDA considers: 1) the composition and properties of the substance, 2) the amount that would typically be consumed, 3) immediate and long-term health effects, and 4) various safety factors. The evaluation determines an appropriate level of use that includes a built-in safety margin - a factor that allows for uncertainty about the levels of consumption that are expected to be harmless. In other words, the levels of use that gain approval are much lower than what would be expected to have any adverse effect.
Because of inherent limitations of science, FDA can never be absolutely certain of the absence of any risk from the use of any substance. Therefore, FDA must determine - based on the best science available - if there is a reasonable certainty of no harm to consumers when an additive is used as proposed.
If an additive is approved, FDA issues regulations that may include the types of foods in which it can be used, the maximum amounts to be used, and how it should be identified on food labels. In 1999, procedures changed so that FDA now consults with USDA during the review process for ingredients that are proposed for use in meat and poultry products. Federal officials then monitor the extent of Americans' consumption of the new additive and results of any new research on its safety to ensure its use continues to be within safe limits.
If new evidence suggests that a product already in use may be unsafe, or if consumption levels have changed enough to require another look, federal authorities may prohibit its use or conduct further studies to determine if the use can still be considered safe.

Regulations known as Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) limit the amount of food ingredients used in foods to the amount necessary to achieve the desired effect.

Ukraine: UN experts warn of chemical disaster and water safety risk as conflict escalates in East

GENEVA (10 November 2017) – Ukraine is facing new risks of chemical disaster and water safety after an escalation of conflict near water supply facilities in the east of the country, two UN Special Rapporteurs have warned.
“We are alarmed by recent reports of shelling around water installations containing chlorine gas and other extremely dangerous chemicals in Donetsk region,” said Baskut Tuncak, an expert on human rights and hazardous substances, and Léo Heller, whose mandate covers safe drinking water and sanitation.
“Damaging installations containing substances such as chlorine gas and the destruction of water treatment facilities could have devastating consequences for the population and the environment of large areas in Eastern Ukraine,” they added.
Chlorine gas, which can cause severe health impacts and death by asphyxiation, has been used as a chemical weapon, but is not specifically listed as controlled under the Convention on Chemical Weapons. However, the use of any toxic chemical as a weapon, including chlorine, is forbidden under the Chemical Weapons Convention.
The Donetsk water filtration station was reportedly shelled repeatedly between 3 and 4 November, causing damage to a back-up chlorine pipeline.
It is reported that if the main pipeline currently in use or any single 900kg bottle containing chlorine, stored in these facilities was hit, it could have killed anyone within a 200 metre radius, including the staff of the facility, and would have disrupted the water supply to almost 350,000 people on both sides of the contact line.
On 5 November, a second water filtration station, Verkhnokalmiuska, which supplies clean water to 800,000 people and stores 100 tons of chlorine gas, was hit by multiple shells. “Again, releasing toxic gas and destroying water supply facilities would have had devastating consequences for populated areas of Donetsk city, Makiivka and Avdiivka,” the experts said.
Mr. Tuncak, who has previously warned of the risks of chemical disasters in eastern Ukraine, added: “All parties involved in conflict must respect international humanitarian law, notably by taking into account the potential consequences of unleashing highly toxic chemicals on the civilian population.”
Mr. Heller noted: “Interference with water and sanitation supplies even in the context of conflict is entirely unacceptable. The rights of almost 1.1 million people’s access to safe drinking water and sanitation on both sides of the contact line are at risk of being affected if hostilities continue to hit water treatment facilities.”
Both experts called on the parties to hostilities to create and respect demilitarized zones around critical water sites in Donetsk region, as was agreed by the Trilateral Group on 19 July this year.
The experts also called for attention to structures at risk of collapse due to poor maintenance. A sludge collector at the phenol plant in Novhorodske has not been repaired after shell damage. Maintenance due every two weeks has not been carried out for a year. Reportedly, the dam around the collector is eroding, risking the release of liquid toxic waste into the Kryvyi Torets and Siverskyi Donets rivers.

“Ensuring access to, and adequate maintenance of, damaged sites containing hazardous substances is vital. We call on all parties to agree on and respect adequate security arrangements which would allow regular maintenance as well as repairs to be conducted safely,” concluded the human rights experts.

Non-drinking Water Guide – Microbiological and Chemical

SA Water is committed to managing our water supplies to ensure the protection of your health. This guide will help you understand how to safely use your non‐drinking water supply. The following information relates to human health only.
SA Water wishes to remind you that your mains water supply is not treated or disinfected. Your water supply may contain harmful microorganisms and natural chemicals. This means it may not conform to the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines and microbial and chemical quality may exceed guideline values.
SA Health advises that your water is not suitable for drinking, food preparation or teeth cleaning. Boiling the water will not reduce the chemical concentrations in your water supply.
What you need to know:
Do not use mains water for drinking, food preparation and cleaning teeth.
Do not connect your mains supply pipes to your drinking water source, e.g. rainwater tank.
Advise visitors to your home about the precautions required when using mains water.
Install and maintain signs specifying "WATER NOT SUITABLE FOR DRINKING" at all publicly accessible taps connected to mains water for which you are responsible. SA Water can provide signs or stickers upon request.
Landlords must provide a copy of this guide to their tenants.
Following these measures will also mitigate the health risks associated with the microorganism Naegleria fowleri, which may be present in your water supply:
Avoid swallowing water or allowing water to go up your nose e.g. when showering, bathing or through use of sinus irrigation products. Children should avoid swallowing water or getting water up their nose during bath time or water play activities including the use of garden hoses.
If mains water is used in children’s paddling pools, do not leave in pool for more than 24 hours.
If mains water is used in swimming pools, it should be properly disinfected with a product such as chlorine to limit the microbiological risks. Visit www.sawater.com.au to check requirements for permits under current Water Wise Measures.
The temperature of hot water system storages should be set at 60ºC or higher (applies to storage systems only, not instantaneous hot water systems). Care should be taken to avoid scalding.
We will continue to monitor water quality and can provide updated information about your mains water quality via our Customer Service Centre on 1300 650 950.

This notice typically relates to water supplies in non‐urban areas. If you think you have received this notification in error, please call our Customer Service Centre to confirm before incurring any additional costs associated with using your water service in the ways set out in this document.

Pesticide residue on fruits and veggies tied to infertility

(Reuters Health) - Women who eat more fruits and vegetables with high levels of pesticide residue may be less likely to get pregnant than women whose diets don’t include a lot of this type of produce, a U.S. study suggests.
Researchers examined data on eating habits and pregnancy outcomes for 325 women who went through a total of 541 cycles of fertility treatments at a clinic in Boston. Overall, 228 of the fertility treatment cycles resulted in a live birth.
Based on women’s responses to dietary questionnaires, researchers ranked their pesticide residue exposure from fruits and veggies into five groups, from lowest to highest.
Compared with women who ate the lowest amounts of fruits and vegetables with high levels of pesticide residue – less than one serving a day – women who ate the highest amounts of these foods – more than two servings a day – were 18 percent less likely to have a baby.
“We already knew that women occupationally exposed to pesticides and women exposed to pesticides used in agriculture by virtue of living in or near agricultural production areas experience greater risk of infertility, pregnancy loss and other adverse reproductive outcomes,” said senior study author Dr. Jorge Chavarro, of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.
“Our study is the first to show that exposure to low doses of pesticide residues, such as those achieved by consuming conventionally grown fruits and vegetables, may also have adverse health effects,” Chavarro said by email. “This was actually very surprising to me.”
Women in the study were 35 years old on average. Most were white and had at least a college education. They all underwent fertility treatments between 2007 and 2016.
There didn’t appear to be a problem with fertilization or embryos implanting in the uterus based on what women ate, but eating more fruits and vegetables with high levels of pesticide residue was associated with an increased risk of miscarriages early in pregnancy.
Replacing one serving day of fruits and veggies with high levels of pesticide residue with different, lower-pesticide options could boost the odds of pregnancy by 79 percent and the chances of a live birth by 88 percent, researchers estimated.
Foods with high levels of pesticide residue can include apples, kale, strawberries and raw spinach. Low-pesticide produce includes avocados, corn and bananas.
Washing produce won’t reduce pesticide exposure, Chavarro said. But buying organic fruits and vegetables makes sense for foods that typically have high levels of pesticide residue, he said.
One limitation of the study is it only included women undergoing fertility treatment, so the results might be different for a broader population of couples trying to conceive, the authors note. Researchers also relied on women to accurately recall and report on what they ate.
More research is needed to confirm the study results in larger groups of women, and also to understand how exposure to pesticide residue on foods impacts fertility and pregnancy, said Tracey Woodruff, a reproductive health researcher at the University of California, San Francisco, who wasn’t involved in the study.
“This is a very important study, because there is a portion of infertility that is ‘unexplained,’ but that just means we don’t know what are the risk factors, and the contribution of environmental pollutants, including pesticides, has not been sufficiently studied,” Woodruff said by email. “And pollutants, like pesticides, could be contributing to these ‘unexplained’ fertility problems.”
In the meantime, women can take steps to avoid pesticide exposure, said Dr. Philip Landrigan, author of an accompanying editorial and a researcher at the Arnhold Institute for Global Health at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York.
This includes eating organic as much as possible, and washing fruits and vegetables, he said by email.

“Avoid using pesticides within homes or on lawns and gardens,” Landrigan added. “Join with friends and neighbors to urge reduction in pesticide use in schools, parks, playing fields an other areas used by children and pregnant women.”

What You Should Know about NPK and Fertilizers

Chemical fertilizers and organic fertilizers show their nutrient content with three bold numbers on the package. These numbers represent three different compounds: Nitrogen, Phosphorous, and Potash (Potassium), which we can also describe with the letters N-P-K. The three numbers listed on fertilizer labels correspond to the percentage of these materials found in the fertilizer. What does each nutrient do? In addition to other properties, Nitrogen helps plant foliage to grow strong. Phosphorous helps roots and flowers grow and develop. Potassium (Potash) is important for overall plant health. Be aware that high nitrogen fertilizers will make for quick growth but weaker plants that are more susceptible to attacks by diseases and pests. Fast, showy growth is not necessarily the best thing for your plants.
German scientist Justus Von Liebig was responsible for the theory that Nitrogen, Phosphorous, and Potassium levels are the basis for determining healthy plant growth. However, this theory, which dates to the 1800s, doesn't take into account the dozens of other nutrients and elements that are essential to plant growth such as sulfur, hydrogen, oxygen, carbon, magnesium, etc. Nor does the theory talk about the importance of beneficial soil organisms that help your plants to flourish and to fight off pests and diseases.
While Von Liebig's work was unquestionably important to the science of plant growth and agriculture, other ways of looking at how plants utilize nutrients have largely been ignored, especially by those companies who produce the chemical fertilizers commonly on the market today. For example, if you properly aerate the soil, earthworms, beneficial microbes, and other critters found underneath your garden and lawn will have better access to the oxygen they need to thrive. As they live and digest organic matter, they help to create soil that is healthy and fertile. Healthy soil is the basis for healthy plants. Additionally, if we look at nature, compost in the form of organic humus is ever present in natural plant communities, providing lots of the nutrients that plants need to grow and thrive. Compost contains Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Potassium, and a great abundance of other trace elements that will benefit your plants.
It is clear that Nitrogen, Phosphorous, and Potassium are not necessarily the most important elements you need for your plants to grow well. In fact, elements such as carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, sulfur, magnesium, copper, cobalt, sodium, boron, molybdenum, and zinc are just as important to plant development as N-P-K. (Source: http://www.utexas.edu/utpress/excerpts/exgarhow.html) Over the years, Justus Von Liebig's theory developed into the dominant paradigm for how we grow our ornamental and edible plants. The bad news is that this has lead to a vast amount excess nutrients building up in our streams, lakes, and rivers, because chemical fertilizers are often over-applied. Surprisingly, much of this overuse of chemical fertilizers is actually from homeowners, and not from farmers, who typically carefully measure and apply the least amount of fertilizer necessary to get the job done in order to grow their crops in the most cost effective way possible.

Many homeowners who aren't growing to make a profit end up inadvertently overusing chemical fertilizers (and pesticides too!). They think that if a little bit is good, then more must be better. It isn't! According to the National Academy of Sciences, even though farmers uses pesticides more widely, homeowners uses 10 times more fertilizer per acre. If you only take away one thing from this article, please let it be that you should only use the proper amount of any fertilizer, and not anything more. This will save you money, and it will also keep your yard and garden healthier at the same time. This is extremely important with chemicals, but it also applies to organics! Organic gardeners can look to the work of Sir Albert Howard for solid research and ideas on how to grow plants more naturally. His ideas consider chemical processes that occur in nature. He then applies them to agriculture and home gardening.

What Is a Color Additive?

A color additive is any dye, pigment or substance which when added or applied to a food, drug or cosmetic, or to the human body, is capable (alone or through reactions with other substances) of imparting color. FDA is responsible for regulating all color additives to ensure that foods containing color additives are safe to eat, contain only approved ingredients and are accurately labeled.

Color additives are used in foods for many reasons: 1) to offset color loss due to exposure to light, air, temperature extremes, moisture and storage conditions; 2) to correct natural variations in color; 3) to enhance colors that occur naturally; and 4) to provide color to colorless and "fun" foods. Without color additives, colas wouldn't be brown, margarine wouldn't be yellow and mint ice cream wouldn't be green. Color additives are now recognized as an important part of practically all processed foods we eat.
FDA's permitted colors are classified as subject to certification or exempt from certification, both of which are subject to rigorous safety standards prior to their approval and listing for use in foods.
Certified colors are synthetically produced (or human made) and used widely because they impart an intense, uniform color, are less expensive, and blend more easily to create a variety of hues. There are nine certified color additives approved for use in the United States (e.g., FD&C Yellow No. 6. See chart for complete list.). Certified food colors generally do not add undesirable flavors to foods.

Colors that are exempt from certification include pigments derived from natural sources such as vegetables, minerals or animals. Nature derived color additives are typically more expensive than certified colors and may add unintended flavors to foods. Examples of exempt colors include annatto extract (yellow), dehydrated beets (bluish-red to brown), caramel (yellow to tan), beta-carotene (yellow to orange) and grape skin extract (red, green).

What Is a Food Additive?

In its broadest sense, a food additive is any substance added to food. Legally, the term refers to "any substance the intended use of which results or may reasonably be expected to result -- directly or indirectly -- in its becoming a component or otherwise affecting the characteristics of any food." This definition includes any substance used in the production, processing, treatment, packaging, transportation or storage of food.

Yoghurt Starter Culture

The purpose of the legal definition, however, is to impose a premarket approval requirement. Therefore, this definition excludes ingredients whose use is generally recognized as safe (where government approval is not needed), those ingredients approved for use by FDA or the U.S. Department of Agriculture prior to the food additives provisions of law, and color additives and pesticides where other legal premarket approval requirements apply.

Sucralose

Direct food additives are those that are added to a food for a specific purpose in that food. For example, xanthan gum -- used in salad dressings, chocolate milk, bakery fillings, puddings and other foods to add texture -- is a direct additive. Most direct additives are identified on the ingredient label of foods.

High Fructose Syrup


Indirect food additives are those that become part of the food in trace amounts due to its packaging, storage or other handling. For instance, minute amounts of packaging substances may find their way into foods during storage. Food packaging manufacturers must prove to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that all materials coming in contact with food are safe before they are permitted for use in such a manner.

water chemicals

Foam is a mass of bubbles created when certain types of gas are dispersed into a liquid. Strong films of liquid than surround the bubbles, forming large volumes of non-productive foam.

Trichloro Isocyanuric Acid (TCCA)

The cause of foam is a complicated study in physical chemistry, but we already know that its existence presents serious problems in both the operation of industrial processes and the quality of finished products. When it is not held under control, foam can reduce the capacity of equipment and increase the duration and costs of processes.

Polyaluminium Chloride (PAC)


Antifoam blends contain oils combined with small amounts of silica. They break down foam thanks to two of silicone's properties: incompatibility with aqueous systems and ease of spreading. Antifoam compounds are available either as powder or as an emulsion of the pure product.

Risk = ToxicityX Exposure

Low-toxicity pesticide products are labeled with a signal word of "CAUTION", rather than "WARNING" or "DANGER". No matter how toxic a pesticide may be, it's important to follow all of the label directions.

The Introduction of Ethephon

You can reduce the risk by taking steps to keep the pesticide from being touched, inhaled or eaten by anyone in your household.
Make sure your treatment works by selecting the right approach and the right product. Do your homework by learning about the pests in your area.

The Introduction of Paclobutrazol

You may be able to get free pest control advice from a Master Gardener or another local expert by calling your local Cooperative Extension Service or visiting their website. You can search for local offices and resources by clicking here.
In the United States, minimum risk pesticides do not need to be registered by the EPA. There is no list of minimum risk pesticides available, but you can look for pesticides with these active ingredients and these other/inert ingredients.

Forchlorfenuron (KT-30)

Low-risk pesticide recommendations may be available from some of the additional resources below. NPIC does not provide product recommendations.

If you have questions about this, or any pesticide-related topic, please email us at yutongjie1@gmail.com

New Handbook Offers Soil Health Guidance

Paris, France, 29 March 2017 – Experts publish best approaches for effective nutrient management in the face of climate change
A brand new handbook detailing the best ways to effectively manage nutrients on farms has been released, in an effort to help farmers achieve the triple win of boosting productivity, achieving resilience and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
The new 25-page manual is co-published by the International Fertilizer Association (IFA), the World Farmers Organization (WFO) and the Global Alliance for Climate-Smart Agriculture (GACSA). It analyses different methods of crop nutrition and provides farmers with useful and straightforward information on how to manage nutrients efficiently. The techniques have been proven to improve soil health in the face of climate change, while meeting Sustainable Development Goal two to end hunger, achieve food security, improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture.

Potassium Sulfate (SOP)

The handbook answers critical questions such as:
Which nutrients are essential for plant growth?
Are organic or mineral fertilizers more effective?
What are the challenges of nutrient management, and how can they be tackled?
How does water interact with plant nutrients?
How can farmers apply the principles of integrated soil fertility management in a way that will lead to a “climate-smart agriculture”?
Best management practices (BMPs) for farmers and effective nutrient stewardship guiding principles are outlined as central themes throughout the handbook.

Used as agricultural fertilizer, also used to make compound fertilizer.

Charlotte Hebebrand, Director General of IFA, said: “The global fertilizer industry is committed to working with farmers both large and small, to help them improve nutrient uptake and therefore reduce environmental losses. The “4R Principles” of nutrient management - using the ‘right nutrient source’ at the ‘right rate’, at the ‘right time’ and in the ‘right place’ form the foundation of this task and are explained at length in this new guide.”
The handbook also helps farmers to establish a direct link between efficient nutrient management techniques and strategies to both mitigate and adapt to changing climatic conditions.

Calcium Ammonium Nitrate (CAN)


“The world’s farmers are on the frontline of tremendous challenges threatening the agricultural sector in the 21st Century,” comments Marco Marzano de Marinis, Secretary General of WFO. “A steep rise in the demand of food to feed a growing world population, price volatility; changing diets and the negative effects of climate change will have dramatic effects on the world’s agricultural farmlands and markets. This comprehensive, easy-to-use tool helps farmers and extension trainers to understand the positive results of converting their farming practices to climate-smart agriculture.”

Why Are Food and Color Ingredients Added to Food?

Additives perform a variety of useful functions in foods that consumers often take for granted. Some additives could be eliminated if we were willing to grow our own food, harvest and grind it, spend many hours cooking and canning, or accept increased risks of food spoilage. But most consumers today rely on the many technological, aesthetic and convenient benefits that additives provide.

Citric Acid Monohydrate

Following are some reasons why ingredients are added to foods:
To Maintain or Improve Safety and Freshness: Preservatives slow product spoilage caused by mold, air, bacteria, fungi or yeast. In addition to maintaining the quality of the food, they help control contamination that can cause foodborne illness, including life-threatening botulism. One group of preservatives -- antioxidants -- prevents fats and oils and the foods containing them from becoming rancid or developing an off-flavor. They also prevent cut fresh fruits such as apples from turning brown when exposed to air.

Calcium Propionate

To Improve or Maintain Nutritional Value: Vitamins and minerals (and fiber) are added to many foods to make up for those lacking in a person's diet or lost in processing, or to enhance the nutritional quality of a food. Such fortification and enrichment has helped reduce malnutrition in the U.S. and worldwide. All products containing added nutrients must be appropriately labeled.

Sodium Cyclamat


Improve Taste, Texture and Appearance: Spices, natural and artificial flavors, and sweeteners are added to enhance the taste of food. Food colors maintain or improve appearance. Emulsifiers, stabilizers and thickeners give foods the texture and consistency consumers expect. Leavening agents allow baked goods to rise during baking. Some additives help control the acidity and alkalinity of foods, while other ingredients help maintain the taste and appeal of foods with reduced fat content.

Clean Water for Bangladesh

Shilina Muring is a single mother who lives in Naogaon, Bangladesh. Her husband died three years ago and she could no longer afford to pay rent in her one room house, which led her and her two children to a very small village of 21 families in Naogaon.

Sodium Dichloro Isocyanurate(SDIC)

The village had no clean water. The women and their families risked waterborne diseases, insect borne diseases and skin irritation from the dirty water. Shilina’s son suffered from constant painful rashes and she worried that she would need medicine which she could not afford.

The use of chlorine dioxide

Through generous support, ERDO with The Pentecostal mother and son at wellAssemblies of Bangladesh provided a brand new deep tube well along with community education on water and hygiene to the village where Shilina and her children live.

What's chlorine dioxide tablets advantage ?


The well is in the centre of the village and everyone who lives there has access to clean, fresh drinking water. Shilina uses the fresh water for drinking, food preparation, cooking, bathing and many other household-chores. Shilina and the families in her village are very grateful for the gift of clean water and says, “it comes from God.”

Biopesticides

Biopesticides are certain types of pesticides derived from such natural materials as animals, plants, bacteria, and certain minerals. For example, canola oil and baking soda have pesticidal applications and are considered biopesticides. Biopesticides fall into three major classes:

6-Benzylaminopurine (6-BA)

Microbial pesticides which consist of bacteria, entomopathogenic fungi or viruses (and sometimes includes the metabolites that bacteria or fungi produce). Entomopathogenic nematodes are also often classed as microbial pesticides, even though they are multi-cellular.

Azoxystrobin

Biochemical pesticides or herbal pesticides are naturally occurring substances that control (or monitor in the case of pheromones) pests and microbial diseases.

Thiophanate methyl

Plant-incorporated protectants (PIPs) have genetic material from other species incorporated into their genetic material (i.e. GM crops). Their use is controversial, especially in many European countries.

Phosphate fertilizers

All phosphate fertilizers are obtained by extraction from minerals containing the anion PO43−. In rare cases, fields are treated with the crushed mineral, but most often more soluble salts are produced by chemical treatment of phosphate minerals.

DIAMMONIUM PHOSPHATE (DAP)

The most popular phosphate-containing minerals are referred to collectively as phosphate rock. The main minerals are fluorapatite Ca5(PO4)3F (CFA) and hydroxyapatite Ca5(PO4)3OH.
Double Super Phosphate (DSP)

These minerals are converted to water-soluble phosphate salts by treatment with sulfuric or phosphoric acids. The large production of sulfuric acid as an industrial chemical is primarily due to its use as cheap acid in processing phosphate rock into phosphate fertilizer. The global primary uses for both sulfur and phosphorus compounds relate to this basic process.

Single Super Phosphate (SSP)

In the nitrophosphate process or Odda process (invented in 1927), phosphate rock with up to a 20% phosphorus (P) content is dissolved with nitric acid (HNO3) to produce a mixture of phosphoric acid (H3PO4) and calcium nitrate (Ca(NO3)2). This mixture can be combined with a potassium fertilizer to produce a compound fertilizer with the three macronutrients N, P and K in easily dissolved form.