Pests Or Plenty (1965)

[Music] throughout America today our agricultural land is truly a garden Orchards Lush with fruit fields and farmlands Rich with the goodness of things to eat a legacy for us to treasure to build on and we have built on it we've made more progress in the last 34s of a century than did worldwide agriculture in its previous 7,000 years imagine it's all happened within a single Lifetime and just look at it enough to make your mouth water isn't it food USA Horn of PL [Music] the wonderful world of food food coming to us from all parts of the country to our very backyard wholesome food quality food food at reasonable prices and food in quantity yes lots of it you that wind means there's a lot of rain coming with it the advances of technology in agriculture have been so effective that now we can mass-produce crops to feed our expanding [Music] population and in this Dynamic age of ours no longer are the things we eat limited by season or by geography [Music] no it hardly matters where we are our tables are well bestowed with the products of a big wide country American agriculture is many things it is the fields of corn with their deep soils agriculture is The sundrenched Valleys of the salad bowl but no matter where it may be each field is different every farm and farmer every orchard all different all producing something else in their own distinctive way still we been able to cope with the many profiles of our land we've invented new practices new techniques new [Music] devices we have the latest in harvesting equipment we work with upto-date packaging methods the modern farmer and his Bounty his Garden of Eden ah but is it no there's trouble in in Paradise trouble in many forms a beautiful Blossom Innocent but really A Deadly weed a Strangler a killer welln named witch weed and it is but one of 600 or so weeds competing with our growing crops then there's the nimod visible only under the scrutiny of a microscope [Music] it pierces the roots of our food plants and sucks their juices potatoes strawberries many of the things we like to eat so much no use squeezing these melons nematodes have beat us to [Music] it consider BL in one year this lethal fungus destroyed nearly half of our tomato crops along the Atlantic Seaboard but it is just one of at least 1,500 plant diseases that worry our agriculture take this hungry pest this snail with no shell the slug destructive feeder of our leafy green vegetables and consider insects they are are without question the most Troublesome of our Public Enemies the costliest several hundred kinds with their voracious appetites are especially [Music] destructive yes these are our competitors who can compute their numbers a number which skyrockets with every breath we [Music] take and if we allow them to get out of control an infestation can turn into a plague [Music] man has always been so hounded by his natural enemies but science has come through with important weapons the development of plants that fight pests better methods of growing crops pest killers like insecticides and herbicides the use of chemicals dates back to the ancient days of Brimstone and common salt but today of course our controls are more sophisticated and they are under strict Federal surveillance for instance all pesticides must be registered with the United States Department of Agriculture this is required by law the data which a pesticide manufacturer submits are carefully evaluated by Specialists we know the pesticide do the job is it safe for the user when directions are Faithfully followed what about crop residue here's where the Food and Drug Administration enters the scene residues are allowed only in specified amounts safe ones this is called Legal tolerance in establishing legal tolerance the administration uses at least a 100-fold factor of safety 100 100 fold when a pesticide is found to be safe as well as useful a residue tolerance is set and labeling is accepted for registration full directions for the consumer must be spelled out on the label if a warning is necessary it must be conspicuous the health of one and all is of utmost consideration when it is followed to the letter the label protect protects everyone's Health the fast moving development of the modern pesticide since the middle 40s is one reason why American agriculture has been able to make such spectacular advances [Music] let's go back to weeds for a minute when crops are in competition with weeds quality suffers yields are considerably reduced that's where the herbicide comes in without the chemical weed killer some of our favorite items might easily be priced right out of the food market thus we are constantly trying to tip the scales in our favor and chemicals are not our only weapon we have predatory insects scientists of the Department of Agriculture continue to search the world for such Predators friendly insects which instinctively pre upon harmful ones those that do damage to our crops and our livestock now here is a case of natural luck and agriculture scientists have taken advantage of it the screw worm fly parasite of livestock the female we discovered mates only once in her life so we proceeded to raise flies sterilize them and release them over a fly infested area since each mating is ineffectual the population of screww worm flies spirals down to zero a unique achievement in man's effort to live with nature researchers in agriculture continue to explore and develop new techniques for keeping other pests in check such as those that eventually grow resistant to [Music] insecticides we are seeking ways to break down this barrier of immunity through new chemicals or by unlocking others secrets of [Music] Nature and so research is always at work at work to protect our food our plenty our [Music] people at work to keep our abundance from slipping through our fingers [Music] to keep it flowing in quantity from Farm to Consumer and still remain the bargain that it is nowadays we pay out less of our work a day dollar for food than we ever have [Music] before that dollar buys us selection it buys us quality built-in made service convenience and it buys us safety and Assurance for our dinner [Music] table American agriculture is a world leader food USA good plentiful and safe