Pesticides and Organic Agriculture

Abstract

Vol. 112, No. 15 PerspectivesOpen AccessPesticides and Organic Agricultureis accompanied byNeurology: Pesticides and Parkinson Disease Katherine DiMatteo Katherine DiMatteo Search for more papers by this author Published:1 November 2004https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.112-a865bCited by:3AboutSectionsPDF ToolsDownload CitationsTrack Citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InReddit I read with horror the article “Pesticides and Parkinson Disease” by Renee Twombly (2004) in which she implied that rotenone is “often used in organic gardening and farming.” She went on to describe the effects of rotenone and the even more harmful effects of pyridaben, which is far more toxic than rotenone, both of which are used in conventional agriculture.To set the record straight, rotenone is not commonly used in organic agriculture. Rotenone that has been naturally derived is listed as a “restricted substance” by the Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI 2004) and may be used only in special circumstances with designated limitations. Meanwhile, rotenone’s synergist, piperonyl butoxide, is prohibited from use in organic agriculture.The premise of organic agriculture is to fortify the soil through wholesome, nontoxic means, thereby strengthening the ability of plants to defy diseases and pests.It is the hope of the hardworking pioneers in the organic movement that the instance of Parkinson disease, cancer, and many environmentally related illnesses will diminish exponentially with the conversion of acreage to organic cultivation.Editor’s response: As DiMatteo implies, rotenone is, or should be, used only as a last resort in organic gardening and farming. It should be noted, however, that this pesticide is commonly marketed and sold under the rubric “organic gardening supplies.”ReferencesOMRI 2004. OMRI Homepage. Eugene, OR:Organic Materials Review Institute. Available: http://www.omri.org [accessed 22 September 2004]. Google ScholarTwombly R. 2004. Pesticides and Parkinson disease. Environ Health Perspect 112:A548. Link, Google ScholarFiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsCited by Fazolin M, Ribeiro Bizzo H and Medeiros Monteiro A (2022) Potential Use of Terpenoids for Control of Insect Pests Terpenoids: Recent Advances in Extraction, Biochemistry and Biotechnology, 10.2174/9781681089645122010013, (246-278), Online publication date: 28-Sep-2022. Marchand P, Dimier-Vallet C and Vidal R (2017) Biorational substitution of piperonyl butoxide in organic production: effectiveness of vegetable oils as synergists for pyrethrums, Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 10.1007/s11356-017-1057-0 Xu X, Zhang J, Han K, Zhang Z, Chen G, Zhang J, Mao X and Cao B (2014) Natural Pesticide Dihydrorotenone Arrests Human Plasma Cancer Cells at the G0/G1 Phase of the Cell Cycle, Journal of Biochemical and Molecular Toxicology, 10.1002/jbt.21558, 28:5, (232-238), Online publication date: 1-May-2014. Related articlesNeurology: Pesticides and Parkinson Disease1 July 2004Environmental Health Perspectives Vol. 112, No. 15 November 2004Metrics About Article Metrics Publication History Originally published1 November 2004Published in print1 November 2004 Financial disclosuresPDF download License information EHP is an open-access journal published with support from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health. All content is public domain unless otherwise noted. Note to readers with disabilities EHP strives to ensure that all journal content is accessible to all readers. However, some figures and Supplemental Material published in EHP articles may not conform to 508 standards due to the complexity of the information being presented. If you need assistance accessing journal content, please contact [email protected]. Our staff will work with you to assess and meet your accessibility needs within 3 working days.