In opposition, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) states that Atrazine has been casterizing and feminizing male tadpoles. The EPA hired Tyrone Hayes, a biologist at the University of California, to work for them. He was testing Atrazine and how it was affecting the development of tadpoles. Hayes raised tadpoles in .01 to 25 parts per billion (ppb) water with Atrazine. He conducted the experiment on African Clawed Frogs. This species of frogs is entirely aquatic. He raised them in tanks and fed them Purina Rabbit Chow. "Some had malformed or multiple sets of testes. Others had both testes and ovaries, sometimes in odd numbers" (Souder 1). The EPA scientist was finding one thing while the Syngenta scientists, John Geisy and James
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If Roundup would be banned, it would cost producers over thirty million dollars. The USDA will continue to conduct research. Atrazine has been the most popular herbicide used by farmers for over fifty years, because it works. Eighty countries use this safe herbicide. In the United States, 65 percent of corn and 69 percent of sorghum is treated with Atrazine. Nebraska is the top producer of corn and 77 percent of their corn is treated with Atrazine. Illinois' corn is 70 percent treated. Iowa used Atrazine on over 13.7 million acres of their own corn fields. As the USDA stated, if Atrazine is banned it will cost farmers and consumers up to $665 million a year. The banning of Phenoxy herbicides would cost 1.35 billion dollars. Banning all herbicides would have astronomical costs. There are many unforeseen consequences. It is not only going to affect the farmer, but it will also reach the consumers. Food prices will spike in the grocery stores, due to farmers spending more money on weed control. Herbicides are critical to agricultural production because they increase crop yields, reduce weed control costs, and have conservative tillage benefits. Repeated research has shown when using herbicides correctly, the risks are low while the benefits are
If Roundup would be banned, it would cost producers over thirty million dollars. The USDA will continue to conduct research. Atrazine has been the most popular herbicide used by farmers for over fifty years, because it works. Eighty countries use this safe herbicide. In the United States, 65 percent of corn and 69 percent of sorghum is treated with Atrazine. Nebraska is the top producer of corn and 77 percent of their corn is treated with Atrazine. Illinois' corn is 70 percent treated. Iowa used Atrazine on over 13.7 million acres of their own corn fields. As the USDA stated, if Atrazine is banned it will cost farmers and consumers up to $665 million a year. The banning of Phenoxy herbicides would cost 1.35 billion dollars. Banning all herbicides would have astronomical costs. There are many unforeseen consequences. It is not only going to affect the farmer, but it will also reach the consumers. Food prices will spike in the grocery stores, due to farmers spending more money on weed control. Herbicides are critical to agricultural production because they increase crop yields, reduce weed control costs, and have conservative tillage benefits. Repeated research has shown when using herbicides correctly, the risks are low while the benefits are