From Norman Sheppard, Caltex Middle East
Apart from milk, please note that there are other, nontoxic, nonpolluting
sprays available to control and eliminate powdery mildew
(16 October, p 10), and
a host of other plant pests and diseases. Readers may be surprised to learn the
identity of this wonderful product—highly refined mineral oil.
“Petroleum spray oils” (PSOs) have a 100-year history in agriculture. But
with commercial refining techniques now able to yield fractions only two or
three molecular weights wide, the latest generation of PSOs act with proven and
surgical precision. As a result, they are now used by fruit, flower and
vegetable growers in Australia, China, Thailand, Vietnam and even the Middle
East.
Since nearly all PSO residues in the soil are broken down to carbon dioxide
and water within two weeks, the arbiters of organic farming may see the sense in
classifying light mineral oils as environmentally friendly alternatives to toxic
pesticides.
Dubai
