Producers from a field in Pinto-Casares reported the use of a herbicide with serious consequences for their crops, which prompted the intervention of the Community Commissariat No. 17 and prosecutor Guillermo Farías. For this reason, the authorities of Santiago del Estero requested urgent measures because a neighboring producer used prohibited substances for the season, affecting their crops.
The farmers, who grow cotton on a 3,200-hectare field, filed a complaint after the misuse of a hormonal product in an adjacent field, which damaged about 900 hectares of their emerged plants. Luis Vuigner, one of the affected parties, recounted that on November 23, a night watchman noticed a strong hormonal smell, alerting Engineer Ruela. Together with police personnel from Pinto, they confirmed that a worker from the Agroalimentos Armando company was spraying hormonal products in a field owned by the Red Surco company, using agrochemicals from the same company.
Vuigner emphasized that this issue not only affects them, but all cotton producers in the province, due to the seriousness of the situation. Additionally, he explained that the use of the 2,4-D product is prohibited at this time of year, both for ground and aerial spraying.
Adrián Korytko mentioned that, in addition to the police report, they made the corresponding presentations to the Ministry of Production, which showed a good disposition in the case. Likewise, Mauricio Pons, another affected party, requested urgent sanctions for companies that commercialize and apply these products out of season, causing serious damage to key crops like cotton.
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What are herbicides and what are the risks of their use?
According to Korytko, the use of hormonal herbicides out of season has a negative impact on the growth of plants, causing a significant reduction in cotton yield. Symptoms include leaf deformation, which become twisted, losing their photosynthetic capacity, thus delaying the entire plant growth cycle. In some cases, the plant can recover, but for that, additional treatments are required, implying higher costs and damages for the producers.
Herbicides are chemical products that are used to eliminate weeds from crops, but their use can pose risks to health and the environment:
Health risks
Herbicides can be toxic and have acute and chronic effects on people’s health. For example, poisoning by glufosinate can damage the respiratory and nervous systems. In severe cases, it can be fatal.
Environmental risks
Herbicides can contaminate soil and water, and remain in them for years. They can also contaminate the earth’s poles and biomagnify through food chains. This can lead to species extinction and the presence of pesticide residues in food.
Risks for crops
Herbicides can be absorbed by the roots, coleoptile, or seed of plants. This can damage the plants, causing chlorosis and reduced vigor.
To prevent damage from herbicides, it is important to consider the time that must elapse between application and planting.
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