DES MOINES, Iowa – The picnic tables will be loaded with fresh foods as friends and family gather for the Fourth of July, but some in Iowa believe there is a threat to the integrity of those locally produced fruits and vegetables. Donna Prizgintas, a chef in Ames who relies on fresh ingredients from area growers, said she has concerns about pesticide drift and residue for produce farmers, home gardeners and consumers.

“I think Iowans are not aware of … the levels of glyphosates and nitrates that are in our water, in our air,” she said. “Our food can be fairly pesticide-laden.” Glyphosate is a widely used herbicide and, in a recent assessment, it was frequently detected in Iowa surface waters, rain and air. The agricultural industry is vital to Iowa’s economy, Prizgintas said, adding that with better cooperation, pesticides and produce can coexist.

“Some farmers and companies spray very responsibly,” she said. “There are guidelines, there are registrations. You’re not supposed to spray if the wind is blowing. You have no-spray zones you’re supposed to observe – but regularly, there are mistakes.” Prizgintas said the careful application of pesticides will be even more important going forward, with the expected approval of corn and soybeans tolerant to the pesticide 24D.

“Now this may come as soon as next summer,” she said, “and this is adding a whole new pesticide to the equation.” The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship operates a registry for producers to list the locations of their sensitive crops, so pesticide applicators can identify those areas and minimize the potential for damage from drift.

More information is online at iowaagriculture.gov.

(Iowa News Service)