New vineyards sprayed with herbicides
3/20/2006 Peter
"All the big new vineyards on
Annapolis Road have recently been sprayed with herbicides, and the
characteristic brown-out and discoloration is showing up now,
demonstrating how extensive the spray area is... and during an intense
period of rain and runoff to seasonal creeks.
The old Annapolis vineyard and new olive plantations are managed for weeds
by non-chemical means, including geotextile weed mats, and mowing.
Hydrologically, it's all part of the river system, and it represents
visually what the 'new management' of forest conversion to vineyard is
bringing to the watershed each spring. Even the timber industry doesn't
spray managed forests with herbicides every year."
Rows of herbicide-sprayed (brown) vineyard contrast with narrower
unsprayed strips in green. This herbicide-treated landscape covers
hundreds of acres on Annapolis Road on at least two vineyards.
Weed mats suppress weeds at the bases of olive trees, in a young
plantation on Annapolis Road.
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An old vineyard, no herbicides, on Annapolis Road.
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