Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter7
La Química
Thedirectionofresearchinthelabsfollowsthephilosophythatthe
banana,thesoils,andthevariousenemiesofthebanana,area
three-dimensionalbiologicalsysteminwhichfactorsaffectingany
onevariablecanbeexpectedtoaffectallothervariables.
norwood c. thorton, 1959
IhadtotakeafriendofminewhohadbeenapplyingNemagonto
theemergencyroom,andtherewerequiteafewcaseslikethat.If
youhappenedtobepassingthroughthefarmyouimmediately
noticedthesmellintheair...thereweredeadfishintherivers
andcreeks,alotofdeadfish.
neche martínez, 1995
One day in the early 1950s, United Fruit Company research assistant Jorge
Romero was supervising a work crew applying an agrochemical through
the irrigation system.
1
As the sun climbed in the tropical sky, the smell
of the rapidly vaporizing chemical penetrated the protective masks worn
by the workers, forcing them to complete their tasks quickly in order to
avoid being overwhelmed by the fumes. When a crew member named
Benito removed his mask, Jorge pleaded with him to put it back on be-
fore approaching the irrigation equipment. But Benito refused, declaring
''soyindiosalvadoreñobruto (''I'm a tough indio from El Salvador''). Just
watch.'' Romero described what happened next: ''Benito didn't take more
than five steps toward the sprinkler when plop! He fell to the ground with
blood running from his nose, ears, and eyes. We pulled him out of there
and rushed him to the hospital.'' Jorge, who spent more than thirty years
intheTelaRailroadCompany'sresearchdepartment,usedtheanecdoteto
illustrate what could happen when a worker adopted a ''superman men-
