There it is, one of the very scary looking seed packets I received last weekend.
Kentucky Blue is my pole bean of choice, so this is a must-have for my garden. However after reading up on some of the "treatments" that were used on these seeds, I will be re-ordering, probably from Burpee.
There are several issues with these seeds, not the least of which is the use of pesticides for treating the seeds. Look in the upper right corner: "Origin: China." Even our pole bean seeds are being outsourced. Then, of course, is the warning in ALL CAPS: "DO NOT USE SEED FOR FOOD, FEED OR OIL." So, why in the world should I use the seed in my garden?
I found a good website on pesticides: http://extoxnet.orst.edu/. Here's what they have to say about the products on my poor Kentucky Blue beans.
Thiram is a fungicide that is "moderately toxic by dermal absorption" and is also irritating to the eyes, skin and respiratory tract. Mefonoxam, aka Metalaxyl is another fungicide specifically for downy mildews, with few listed adverse effects. Chlorpyrifos is an insecticide, moderately toxic to humans but highly toxic to birds and fish. Captan is a pesticide. The website says, "There is strong evidence that captan causes cancer in female mice and in male rats at high doses. In addition, captan is chemically similar to two other pesticides, folpet and captafol, that have been shown to produce cancer in test animals. Tumors were associated with the gastrointestinal tract and, to a lesser degree, with the kidneys."
Streptomycin is an antibiotic, and I must admit, I was surprised to see that it's used to treat seeds. I figured it was mainly for strep throat. According to the Extoxnet website, there are few, if any, issues with streptomycin as a seed treatment. However, the overuse of antibiotics has become a health crisis, and knowingly dumping more into our groundwater is a crime as far as I'm concerned. Our overuse of these drugs has lead to the gradual development of "superbugs" that are resistant to antibiotics. Here is a nice little article from the Mayo Clinic about the issue. The overabundance of anti-bacterial products like liquid soap and counter cleaners has also contributed to the same problem. Click here for an article from the Centers for Disease Control about this.
So, the bottom line is that I need to figure out how to dispose of this junk, and then find another supplier for my beans (and my cukes, radishes and pattypan squash).
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