"When it comes to methyl bromide, one fact is a given: every situation is unique," said Charles (Chip) Hinton. "As each commodity reacts differently to treatment with methyl bromide, each grower group reacts differently to the loss of this treatment. Likewise, solutions to the problem of the loss of methyl bromide are not universal."

Hinton was reporting the Florida strawberry growers' perspective on the January 1, 2001, ban on methyl bromide. He made these remarks at the Annual International Research Conference on Methyl Bromide Alternatives and Emissions held in San Diego, November 3–5, 1997.

"When growers began using methyl bromide in 1964, we saw an immediate fourfold increase in productivity because of industry-wide acceptance of what was touted as a risk-free, broad-spectrum pest control," he said.

According to Hinton, there is extreme pest pressure in the sandy soils of Florida that have less than 1 percent organic matter. "We still have small family farms here averaging about 35 acres all surrounded by suburbia, that practice an unforgiving planting regime such as double cropping. Because of our climate, we farm in the wintertime, just the opposite of the rest of the country."

Florida growers, he said, can be hit with flooding caused by 20 inches of rain from one storm, as well as high winds, drought, and other weather extremes that greatly affect crops. These extremes rule out the feasibility of using some suggested alternatives to methyl bromide.

Researchers in Florida have experimented with several potential chemical alternatives to methyl bromide. These include vapam, basamid, chloropicrin, and Telone C17 and C35. But, he said, these all have limitations because of the sandy soils. The chemicals could leach down into the water table because the liquids won't move horizontally. We need horizontal movement to control weeds on bed shoulders.

Some products would be costly, labor intensive, and possibly corrosive, while their efficacy could be inconsistent. Many chemicals emit noxious odors, which would make them difficult to use in our farming communities that border suburbia.

The safety of workers and their families is vital when considering a chemical alternative to methyl bromide. Since the small growers have only a few acres, they're working in their own backyards. They and their families will be exposed to anything applied to their fields.

And finally, some chemicals may present more of a threat to the environment than methyl bromide. There just hasn't been enough research done on the chemical alternatives. Some of the proposed alternatives are chemicals discarded 30 years ago because they were not effective. Can these same chemicals meet the standard of being an alternative today?

Hinton talked of nonchemical alternatives such as cover crops, heat treatments, steam solarization, vertical culture, and growing in tunnels. He said that Florida growers have used hairy indigo, peas, mustard, and marigolds as cover crops to attract more beneficial insects and require less pesticides. Although the peas added additional nitrogen to the soil, they did nothing for the nematodes. It was difficult for growers to get a good stand of indigo, mustard, or marigold crops. Results at best, he said, "were spotty."

"We've also tried integrated pest management, flooding, nomadic agriculture, artificial substrates, and adding organic amendments to our soil," he said. Some of these practices just weren't practical. Water is metered for Florida growers, so flooding isn't possible. It's hard to practice nomadic agriculture, or rotating crops, on 35 acres or less. And artificial substrates may work in the greenhouse, but Florida's climate comes into play here. Organic amendments would help, but supply and distribution are problems. Where would growers get the amendments? Would it be cost-effective to transport the material long distance?

The bottom line, he said, is that Florida, which supplies the United States with winter vegetables, is faced with problems like nutsedge, sting nematode, new pests, and soilborne diseases—with no good substitute to methyl bromide on the horizon.

There is now a new group of weeds that in the past was not an economic problem. Some fields have now been without methyl bromide for 3 years. Some of these are fields that have been grown in strawberries for the past 100 years. So there are new pest problems developing. Florida historically hasn't been plagued with soilborne diseases, but without methyl bromide, these can become economically devastating.

"We haven't had to worry about below-ground, arthropod pests. But, we anticipate that they will also become a worry.

"And the alternatives that researchers have come up with so far all cost more and produce less than methyl bromide," Hinton said. "We have cooperated with ARS, CSREES, and the Land Grant institutions in trying to solve this problem of finding alternatives we can use. We've received funds from the Federal Government. At the State level, researchers from the University of Florida have worked hard to develop and test potential alternatives. But, so far, we only have partial solutions to this very serious problem.

"The strawberry growers of Florida understand the complexity of long-term research and realize that time is short before methyl bromide is banned in the United States. We face a real dilemma if viable alternatives aren't found soon or the time for finding them isn't extended."