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Old 08-04-2005, 01:26 PM
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palani palani is offline
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Join Date: May 2005
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At one time Mexico required US corn to be dyed green so that it doesn't get in the tacos or enchiladas. The green dye indicated it is only fit for animal use.
I don't think this is still required since NAFTA went into effect.

The alternative to BT corn is organophosphate insecticide when corn is planted following corn. This is why a lot of farmers use rotation with soybeans to kill out rootworm insect populations. They don't have to mess with handling the insecticide and don't have the added expense.

When organophosphates are used you really don't want to run around in corn fields barefoot. You can absorb enough of this stuff through your skin to kill you. It is really nasty stuff. You have to have a pesticide applicator license to buy it and apply it when the corn is planted and there are guidelines on how much to use per acre.

All this is by way of saying there are no easy decisions. However, if everyone in farming got back to growing 70-80 bushel per acre single cross varieties of corn I would guess the market would respond by offering $10 - $20 per bushel. This is a pipe dream for a number of reasons.
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