Wildlife Damage Management, Internet Center for
Date of this Version
September 1970
Abstract
In 1970 a larger program was mounted. At the time it was started we did not know what the registration situation was going to be, but organization began in April. In late June we found out that the material would be available. We expanded the program under the assumption that one man could adequately supervise 6,000 acres of corn. More realistically we found that one man could supervise about 3,000 acres. Plans were initiated in March, when time schedules were set up, County Agents had meetings with farmers to explain the program, and we left it with the farmers to decide whether they wanted to participate. We had a cut-off date of June 15, so that material could be ordered in time for application. We ended up with five areas in Ohio and two in Michigan. The Indiana Conservation Department felt that the program was too controversial so they did-not authorize the use of the material. Final cost was $2.01 per acre. Farmers had been originally told that they would be charged $2.25 per acre and based on this approximately 17,000 acres of corn in the six areas were initially signed for the program. The entire program represented the use of 600 pounds of concentrated Avitrol at $10.50 a pound, which means that the Phillips Petroleum Company re¬ceived a little over $6000. You can see why chemical companies are not too in¬terested in this type of operation, since it takes them a long time to recover the re¬search and development investments involved.