How To Use Garlic In California

California has been the largest producer of garlic in the United States since it was introduced in the early 1700s. Garlic is thought to be originated in central Asia, functioning as a medical alleviation. Although it is still used in medicine, its main purpose nowadays is in flavoring food. As garlic is shifting to a principal ingredient in many American restaurants, production is rapidly increasing however, acreage is dropping. In fact, in 1999 there were about 40,000 acres in the valley whereas now there are only about 25,000 dedicated to garlic. Part of this is due to the many imports from China, the world’s largest producer supplying over seventy-five percent of the worldwide garlic consignment. China is continuing to produce bulks of …show more content…
The primary motive for farmers switching from chemicals to garlic is because it is natural, cheap and has natural characteristics of fungicides and insecticides. The most common pesticide made from garlic is garlic spray, which controls a variety of organisms including termites, ants, caterpillars and slugs. The plants will only need to be sprayed once a week because of the long-lasting taste of garlic. This should not be applied close to harvesting time, seeing that this could affect the food flavors. Another strategy developed by agribusiness farmers to control nematodes is known as the drench. Garlic tea is used as a soil drench and effectively keeps Japanese beetles and carrot beetles out. Additionally it repels deer and rabbits from flowers in gardens. Lastly, simply growing garlic in between other plants can reduce insect damage as long as it is not planted near potatoes, peas or legumes. By using garlic as an insecticide in one of these three ways, it is certain that there will be no harm to the environment, unlike traditional …show more content…
The use of these chemicals can runoff into nearby bodies of water and damage marine organisms along with polluting the air. It can also harm agricultural land by killing insects beneficial to the crop and by killing worms that help get rid of destructive creatures. The last environmental issue is that it reduces organic compounds in the soil, such as nitrogen, which are essential for nutrients. However ,the worst consequence is that it has a direct impact on humans. Because of the widespread use of pesticides, there is no fragment of the worldwide population that is safe from the side effects of these chemicals. This is a huge problem among production workers, farmers, sprayers and loaders. Industrial settings are at an even higher risk because they are working with chemicals such as pesticides and other toxic solvents daily. Consequently, about a million people die due to chemical