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Frogs sex change

Started by chain, June 15, 2010, 04:25:13 PM

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chain

A study released from biologists of the University of California  found that, "long-term exposure to low levels of 'atrazine' castrated about 75% of male frogs tested and, one of every ten male frogs ended up turning into a female frog."

This study released in time for EPA renewal permit of the fifty years old herbicide; some 76 million lbs. are used per year by U.S. farmers.

How are your frogs today?


Norm

Same as they were long before we started using atrazine.

fishpharmer

Great.  Now we're gonna lose another good chemical. 

I need some at the hatchery, too many frogs.

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chain

Wish I could say the same but our bullfrogs are really scarce nowadays; however, the toads seem to be increasing.

No doubt about it, atrazine one of the cheapest most effective of herbicides; so was DDT as an insecticide..


Norm

Which BS studies like this outlawed with no proof it did what you've implied.

chain

Quote from: Norm on June 15, 2010, 08:36:53 PM
Which BS studies like this outlawed with no proof it did what you've implied.


You can bet the study stirred up the ag-chem-corn farmer's world. An organization called NRDC, 'Natural  Resources Defense Council' is supporting the accusations by the U of California biologists, also the National Academy of Sciences has released their report supporting their claims.

My info from "Delta Farm Press" www.deltafarmpress.com  Clarksdale, MS.

One editorial and one info article on the subject.

Kansas

I do have one question. The farmers here might be able to answer this. It seems like nearly all the corn and soybeans have gone to roundup ready. What are they using 76 million pounds of atrazine on? I realize things are different in other parts of the country.

I also had a comment about how to figure out if a frog was castrated, but perhaps its best if for once I keep quiet.

Tom

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA (Abstract)
http://www.pnas.org/content/99/8/5476.full


UCBerkeley News
http://berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2010/03/01_frogs.shtml

Kansas, it isn't just the farmers.  Atrazine has been used as a control of sand spurs, as a pre-emergent, for many years and many of Florida's crops would be almost impossible to grow without it.

Without declaring Wikipedia as always being a justifiable resource, the article on Atrazine refers to this study on frogs as going back to 2002 and not all of the studies could be reproduced.

"Tyrone Hayes, Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, notes that all of the studies that failed to conclude that atrazine caused hermaphroditism were plagued by poor experimental controls and were funded by Syngenta, one of the companies that produce the chemical.[28]  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and its independent Scientific Advisory Panel (SAP) examined all available studies on this topic — including Hayes' work — and concluded that there are "currently insufficient data" to determine if atrazine affects amphibian development. Hayes, formerly part of the SAP panel, resigned in 2000 to continue studies independently." 


The map associated with the article indicates the highest usage and concentration being the midwest cornbelt. 

chain

Quote from: Kansas on June 15, 2010, 09:18:43 PM
I do have one question. The farmers here might be able to answer this. It seems like nearly all the corn and soybeans have gone to roundup ready. What are they using 76 million pounds of atrazine on? I realize things are different in other parts of the country.

I also had a comment about how to figure out if a frog was castrated, but perhaps its best if for once I keep quiet.

Atrazine primarily used for corn and grain sorghum herbicide., the product will kill soybeans. There are several weeds that now are round-up resistant; atrazine contols many of those resistant weeds.

Norm

We use it for an early treatment in corn acres. One of the better broad-leaf herbicides available. 

Sprucegum

Kansas   They're the frogs that don't smile anymore.

I read about this several years ago when they were trying to add it to the "global warming" pile.

Patty

Weekly Reader ran this same article / study over 45 years ago; only then they blamed "acid rain". IT seems some folks just live to make others afraid. How sad is that.
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