Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-05-01
Weeds Cost Formers
S. Billion Every Year
Bandit PIonts Require More
From the Soil Than Crops

Weeds cost the American farmer
about S. billion q year.
That's IS billion added to the living
costs of the people. This Is the eSti-
mate of DR.. Warren Shaw of the
Agriculture Department. made at a
meeting of the National Agricultural
Chemicals Association.
It was the figure for last year despite
the advances made in chemical weed
killers which annually are reducing the
cost of tillage, one-half of which gen.
orally is attributed to weed control.
A major trouble, it was pointed out.
is that different weeds require different
poisons. some Of which also may kill
crop plants. Part Of the remedy lies.
1t was stressed, In more intensive study
Of the requirements Of various plants
and tailoring" poisons to meet the
specific conditions.
Thus, the average ragweed plant has
f1ve times the water requirement of a
corn plant. One common mustard
plant which invades cornfields used
twice as much nitrogen and phos-
phoruS and four times as much po-
taSSium and water as the corn.
Four Types of Weed Killers.
At present, DR.. Shaw said, four types
Of weed-killing chemicals dominate
the field. These can be used more in
diligently with a knowledge of the
requirements of different plant types.
Other poisons even more specific may
be developed by research.
The weeds afford an even greater
problem, it was stressed in another re-
port by DR.. Avery Hoyt Of the Agri-
culture Department, than the 5000 to
1000 insect species in this country now
classified as injurious to crops. New
ones are appearing every year and they
seem to be more and more resistant to
poiSons and other means Of killing
them.
An example now giving the cotton
industry serious trouble is the pink
bollworm-the greatest threat since
the boil weevil. None of the compounds
tested to date has shown much potency
against it, although some show
enormous promise against the boil
weevil itself and other destructive
insects.
A new compound recently produced
In Germany. DR.. Hoyt said, is showing
the greatest promise but the boil worm
seems to be developing considerable
resistance.
The threat Of this pest, it was
pointed out, is demanding so much
attention that necessary research is
diverted from other destructive insects.
The world food situation is getting
worse.
Total production, with an increase
OF about one per cent, barely kept up
with the growing population.
More serious. however, is the growing
gap between the have" and have not"
peoples, with its implications of even
tual growing dissatisfaction and revolt.
This is the American Nutrition Foun-
datlon's Interpretation of the world pro-
duction and consumption report for
1951-52 issued by the Agriculture Or
ganization Of the United Nations.
In the United States, for example,
consumption showed great increases
among people accused Of eating too
much and one of whose major medical
problems Is fairness. The average
American consumption by calories daily
increased in these two years from 3,170
to 3,210. Perhaps more significant was
an increase in daily protein consump-
ton from 81 to SO grams. The con-
sumption of proteins from animal tissue
increased from 81 to SO grams.
India Diet Low.
Just the opposite was reported for
India, always threatening famine area
where, for the population as a whole.
food supplies seldom have been above
the minimum requirements. The coun-
try's average daily calorie consumption
dropped from / 500 to 1,600-almost 400
Galleries day below the prewar average.
Protein consumption dropped 10 grams
daily below the average before the last
war and there was a slight decrease in
available animal proteinS.
Besides India" says the foundations
report, "the completely stationary state
of calorie and nutrient intakes through
out South America is particularly note
worthy. In Denmark, Germany, Aus
tria, Greece, Ireland and Italy these in
takes are below the prewar average.
Several countries. the United Kingdom
in particular, show downward trend.
In the Far East virtually every country
is below the prewar average"
Part of the explanation, it Is pointed
out, is that so much productive capacity
has been turned to non-food production.
At the same time barriers against in
ternational trade have made some es.
production. over-populated areas.
The dollar shortage has proved a very
serious handicap.