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• THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, MAY 9, 2001. PAGE 21.
Home & Garden 2001
•I
Canadians ask questions about lawn care
(http://www.24d.org/epa_memo.pd
f) shows it to be noncarcinogenic,
non-mutagenic and non-teratogenic
(i.e.. it does not cause cancer, birth
defects and genetic defects). The
World Health Organization's cur-
rent 2. 4-D monogram states,
"There was no evidence of carcino-
genicity".
—The most recent review. of the epi-
demiology and toxicology data
packages by .EPA's 2, 4-D
Carcinogenicity Peer Review
Commit tee
(http://www.24d.org/Rev4.pdf)
Our greenhouses are
filled with gorgeous
flowers, plants, rose
bushes & shrubs
Great Mother's Day ideas...
With the arrival of spring, many
Canadian homeowners will once
again he turning their attention to
lawn and garden care. And with
spring's onset comes the resurgence
of claims and counter claims con-•
cerning pesticide use by homeown-
ers and commercial lawn care serv-
ice companies,
"As a Canadian agricultural con-
sultant who has worked in over 40
countries during the course of my
career. I am very interested in this
annual phenomenon in Canada",
observes Donald Page. Executive
Director of the Industry Task Force II
on 2, 4-D Research Data. "in the past
eighteen months Canada has seen an
unprecedented assault on lawn care
pesticides — a campaign not seen
elsewhere in North America or
Europe. This level of public debate is
unique to Canada."
With 19 years of involvement in
research, the task force has an inter-
est in this matter, given that 2. 4-D is
the most commonly used active
ingredient in lawn care herbicides.
The task force is a group of interna-
tional companies sanctioned by gov-
ernment to fund more than 270 new
research studies required by the fed-
eral Pest Management -Regulatory
Agency (PMRA) under the Canadian
pesticide re-evaluation program.
These studies are now complete and
are currently being reviewed by reg-
ulatory agencies in Canada and the
with early
As that spring sun warms the soil,
lawn grasses are among the first
plants to green , up and start to grow.
Indulge that green thumb early in the
season when it's a pleasure to be out-
side. -Here are some tips for helping
your lawn:
Raking
With a soft rake, remove any over
wintered leaves, undesirable brown
vegetation, sticks, and other debris
from within and on yo r lawn. This
will allow the sun to b tin warming
the soil.
Test soil for pH
In many parts of Canada, this sim-
ple and inexpensive test is vital for
successful lawn care. Where possi-
ble. bring a soil sample to a garden
centre or soil lab. At a perfect pH of
6.5 to 7, your lawn has the ability to
pick up all the essential elements. If
it is lower or higher. many elements
are unavailable to plant roots.
In regions of eastern Canada. and
B.C., the pH. is as low as 4.5. Test
results in this range would require the
addition of limestone to increase the
pH. In the prairies and in parts of
Ontario. the pH is often higher than
7.5 and as high as 8.5. .
In these cases, the addition of ele-
mental sulphur will be effective in
balancing the pH.
Reseed
Lawn areas that are not covered
with a uniform stand of grass should
he reseeded. Scatter seed lightly and
scratch it into the soil with a stiff
rake.
Fertilize
To-encourage both existing lawn
grasses and. new seedlings, apply a
high- quality turf fertilizer with high
percentage of slow-release nitrogen.
This lawn food will adequately
replenish nutrients taken up by grass
plants throughout the spring growing
season. •
Fertilizer should he applied at lea ,
United States.
"We have compiled the most fre-
quently expressed concerns from
Canadians voiced on the 2, 4-D
Information Line over the past nine
months". According to Donald Page,
"Foremost on the minds of those
who call the information line is a
concern about the potential health
effects of lawn herbicides, and 2, 4-
D specifically."
The facts about 2. 4-D are as fol-
lows:
— Since 1986, 2, 4-D has. been
reviewed by more than a dozen
government and independent expert •
panels, - including the Canadian
Centre for Toxicology review Con-
ducted for the Ontario Ministry of
the Environment, Harvard
University School of Public Health,
the World Health Organization
( http://www.24d .org/fao 2. pd f), and
the 175-page review of 2, 4-D pub-
lished in the Journal of the
American College of Toxicology
(http://wWw.24d.org/amcoltox.pd)
— All expert panels concluded that
the continued use of the herbicide
2, 4-D poses no unreasonable risk
to humans or the environment.
Furthermore, there is no significant
scientific evidence that 2, 4-D caus-
es cancer in humans or laboratory
animals, including dogs.
— The current United States
Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) 2, 4-D toxicology profile
lawn care
two to three times per growing sea-
son. Always follow the manufactur-
er's recommendations 'on the pack-
age.
Mow
As soon -as the grass has grown
above the normal height of cut - usu-
ally about 4 or 5 centimetres - start
mowing. This will not only create a
uniform -surface appearance but also
will help to thicken up the stand of
lawn grass.
If you make .Some early invest-
ments in your lawn, it will pay back
dividends later on.
concludes — for the fourth time —
that 2, 4-D should remain a Class D
compound.
— Under EPA's classification of car-
cinogenicity, a Class A compound
is a known carcinogen, a Class B
compoUnd is a probably carcinogen
and a Class C compound is a possi-
ble carcinogen. A Class D rating
means that there is insufficient evi-
dence of carcinogenicity in the now
extensive data package to place the
compound in any of the three high-
er classifications.
Canadians are understandably con-
• grass seed
• packaged/bulk
garden seeds
• seed potatoes
Indulge green thumb
cemed about pesticide use in the
urban setting. There are many con-
tradictory statements in the public
domain about the potential effects of
pesticides on human and animal
health, However, Canadian home-
owners should be assured that their
country has one of the most stringent
pesticide regulatory systems in the
world.
Additional information may be
obtained toll free: 1-800-345-5109;
www.24d.org or email: ../ don-
page@24d.org Part II to be released
April 24.
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