The Texas high plains are characterized by drier weather and the ideal elevation for grape growing, but the land is farmed for a variety of crops. Recently, it’s become somewhat of a battle, as some crops thrive and others die. The culprit is speculated to be a certain type of weedkiller, known to vaporize in the Texas heat and drift for miles, landing on vulnerable, non-resistant plants and damaging them. The herbicide drift is compromising a large chunk of Texas’ wine grape growing and has resulted in a multi-million dollar lawsuit against two large agriculture companies.
Guests:
Blair Sabol, KCBD reporter
Rob Avila, Texas Tech Public Media reporter
Helpful Links:
‘This is a horror story’; Concerns from local farmers over chemical drift prompts $560 million lawsuit, from Blair Sabol
Grape growers in Texas region sue over herbicide damage, from the AP
West Texas Vineyards Blasted By Herbicide Drift From Nearby Cotton Fields, from Merrit Kennedy/NPR
Lawsuit filed against Bayer-Monsanto and BASF
Texas High Plains Graper Growers vs. Bayer-Monsanto, BASF, In-depth FAQ
Special Report: The decisions behind Monsanto's weed-killer crisis, from Reuters
Initial legal explanations of dicamba pesticide cases by Brigit Rollins, staff attorney for the National Agricultural Law Center at The University of Arkansas
AP’s Emily Flitter’s reporting & Timeline on Monsanto’s Dicamba crisis
