Helping the NGo I was staying with in their study of Andean Weevil. Very intersting - this is an endemic pest which has only recently become a major problem. Many farmers spray insecticeds 2-3 time s a year to control it. I had no idea until I got here that pesticide posioning is extremely high in the Andes.
The improved varieties are much more susceptible to this pest and while they can yield more - many farmers told me that they need more fertilizer and more herbicide sprays. Some even believe that the outbreak of the Andean Weevil is directly linked to the introduction of modern potato varteties and their associated chemicals. It may not be the whole cause, but is a definite factor
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
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