Myth busting: Do farmers ‘drench, douse or slather’ crops in pesticides?

Steve Savage | September 7, 2016 | Genetic Literacy Project

In many articles critical of modern agriculture the narratives about pesticides tend to use terms like “slathered,” “drenched,” or “doused.” These are alarming images and foster consumer fears about the role of pesticides in the food supply. Those actually involved in the control of pests on farms know that these are extremely misleading impressions of how farmers manage their crops. It is useful to make some visual comparisons to provide perspective.......Farmers don’t have any incentive to spray more crop protection agent than they need – these products cost money. A farmer also has no incentive to spray with a bigger volume of water than is needed to get the agent effectively delivered.
So when you hear or read about farmers “slathering,” “drenching,” or “dousing” their fields, remember that these emotive terms and mental images are at best, misleading, and frequently, manipulative.......To Read More.....