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Cassandra | 08-19-2009 02:05 AM
Herbicide Creates Killer Compost Watch what you put on your gardens! I've always had this fear of store-bought compost for exactly this reason. For the umpteenth time, my paranoid delusions are proved true. Man, I hate it when I'm right! http://www.motherearthnews.com/Grow-...c-Compost.aspx Quote:
Milestone Herbicide Creates Killer Compost 7/24/2009 8:34:58 AM By Barbara Pleasant Last fall, our report on manure, hay and compost contaminated with Milestone herbicide (aka aminopyralid), made by Dow AgroSciences) told of 2008�s tragic summer in the United Kingdom, where thousands of gardeners lost their tomatoes, beans and other sensitive crops to manure and hay laced with this potent, highly persistent herbicide. This year the problem has hit home, with U.S. gardeners, organic farmers and commercial growers reporting damaged or lost tomato crops from Milestone contamination. (Aminopyralid is also sold under the brand name of Forefront.) Why now? �We had the perfect storm to set up the situation,� says Dr. Jeanine Davis, associate professor of horticulture at North Carolina State University and author of several recent extension service advisories about Milestone�s persistent toxicity. The drought caused animal owners to buy hay trucked in from other areas, and at the same time many people created new vegetable gardens and bought contaminated compost, or hay to use as mulch.� Davis is now receiving notices daily from growers and extension agents across the country who are seeing vegetables damaged by manure, hay or compost contaminated with Milestone. Tomatoes are highly sensitive; symptoms including curled, cupped leaves and wilting new growth are often misdiagnosed as a virus or disease problem. Organic growers who have lost their crops suffer a double punch because they lose certification on the contaminated land. Recovery can take a long time. In a former North Carolina hay field treated with Milestone (one of several aminopyralid products) in June 2006, residue levels were high enough to damage tomatoes in 2009 � three years later. All of this leaves Dow Chemical holding a bag of trouble, but maybe it won�t be so bad since the company reportedly has bought web rights to www.banaminopyralid.com. Is that smart damage control, or what? And business looks good judging from the number of U.S. highway departments, foresters, utility companies, and other big land managers that are buying the stuff by the ton. You tell me: When a deer grazes on treated vegetation in the power cut behind my house and relieves herself as she passes through my garden, who�s responsible for the fact that some of my soil is now useless for growing beans, peas, lettuce, tomatoes and many other crops for four years � or more. Do we really want to allow companies to make their profits by selling chemicals that are this potent? Meanwhile, in the United Kingdom, Milestone/aminopyralid has been pulled from the market pending further study. Damage reports continue to mount as the extent of the problem becomes known. This entire problem is a repeat of damage that surfaced several years ago in the United States from another persistent Dow herbicide, clopyralid (sold as Reclaim, Stinger, Hornet, Transline, Confront, Lontrel, Curtail and Millenium Ultra). Dow was marketing clopyralid for broadleaf weed control on residential lawns, which meant it was contaminating grass clippings used to make municipal composts. Researchers eventually traced mysterious damage in gardens across the United States to the herbicide residues in composts.

LowDow | 08-20-2009 04:44 AM
Re: Herbicide Creates Killer Compost I mulched my 20 tomatoe plants with hay purchased this year. My tomatoes are doing terribly. That may be it! Thanks for the post.

farscott | 08-20-2009 08:58 AM
Re: Herbicide Creates Killer Compost That is very good information. We did not buy any mulch or compost this year, but we might have next year.

Goldhedge | 08-20-2009 09:18 AM
Re: Herbicide Creates Killer Compost I take it that composting won't break down and eliminate the chemical?

Golddust | 08-20-2009 01:04 PM
Re: Herbicide Creates Killer Compost Quote:
Originally Posted by Goldhedge (Post 1877293) I take it that composting won't break down and eliminate the chemical?
Aminopyralid is an industrial herbicide. There’s no reason for most of us to have heard of it until now. It’s a strong chemical – if you used the recommended dose of 2 litres per hectare in an area the size of a typical garden or allotment you would need literally a few drops– and is therefore only used commercially. It is not sold under its chemical name, but rather as a myriad of brands: Forefront, Banish, Halcyon, Pharaoh, Pro-Banish, Doxstar and Runway. And it was only introduced in 2005. It’s pretty nasty stuff. It kills perennial weeds by altering their hormones, and it stays around for a loooong time. It takes two years, in fact, before treated land can be used for edible crops. But after four months it can be used for fodder.

Golddust | 08-20-2009 01:25 PM
Re: Herbicide Creates Killer Compost Dow AgroSciences Notice for allotment holders and gardeners We have been receiving enquiries from people who appear to have observed unusual growth patterns in a variety of crops such as potatoes, peas and beans. Some callers have enquired whether this may be due to potential herbicide residues in manure. Dow AgroSciences' grassland herbicides are used by livestock farmers for the control of injurious weeds such as docks, thistles and nettles. It has long been known that it is possible for low levels of product to be found in manure and that the use of such manure as a fertiliser or compost may, in some circumstances, cause damage to sensitive crops. Where this potential exists, Dow AgroSciences' products carry warnings and advice. When using any herbicide product, the label advice and safety instructions should always be followed. In response to whether crop damage may have flowed from the application of, manure containing herbicide residues, we thought that the following examples of some the questions we have been asked may be helpful. You can also contact us by email at UKHotline@dow.com if you have any specific questions. Can I eat the affected crops? How do I deal with the affected areas to help remove the risk of plant damage for future years? What do I do with any remaining manure? Can I replant this season? Why does your chemical last so long? How do I avoid this happening again? <hr> Can I eat the affected crops? Aminopyralid has very little inherent toxicity to people or animals and consumption of affected crops would not have any effect on human health. PSD has now assessed additional information and confirmed that using manure, which may contain residues of aminopyralid, does not have implications for human health http://www.pesticides.gov.uk/garden.asp?id=2480 . The data shows that using worst case assumptions the residues would not cause concern and while the product is not authorized by UK regulators for use on food crops, these crops can be eaten. Aminopyralid has been approved for use on certain food crops in Canada, the United States, and other counties. We are seeking approvals for several food crops in a number of European countries in the near future. The Pesticides Safety Directorate is an agency of the Health and Safety Executive. One of its duties is to ensure the safe use of pesticides for people and the environment. The procedure for approving pesticides for use in the UK is rigorous, each approval requiring scrutiny of extensive safety testing. All of Dow AgroSciences' herbicide products which are offered for sale in the UK are approved by the Pesticides Safety Directorate. Back to Top How do I deal with the affected areas to help remove the risk of plant damage for future years? In our view, rotavation is by far the best practice. This incorporates plant tissue into soils where it will decompose and allow the associated chemicals to be degraded by soil microbes. Once degraded, the chemicals should pose no further risk to crops. Ideally, thoroughly rotavate, or fork over several times as soon as possible, then repeat in late summer/ early autumn. Plant tissues generally break down most rapidly in warm, moist soils. Back to Top What do I do with any remaining manure? If you believe that the manure or compost you are using may contain herbicide residues, it should NOT be spread on ground intended for food crops. Sensitive crops include peas, beans and other legumes, sugar beet and fodder beet, carrots potatoes, tomatoes, lettuce and a number of other food crops or edible plants. Back to Top Can I replant this season? We would not recommend replanting this year. The ground needs to be thoroughly rotavated and plant residues given time to break down. Back to Top Why does your chemical last so long? Our products work by binding strongly to plant tissues, as do other herbicides. Once plant tissues decay, breakdown of active ingredients in soil should happen very quickly under normal conditions. Back to Top How do I avoid this happening again? Before accepting any farmyard manure for use in your garden or allotment, it is always important to ask the supplier for confirmation that it does not come from livestock which has grazed on fields, or been fed fodder, that has been treated with herbicides bearing restrictions on the use of subsequent manure. Any Dow AgroSciences' product with potential to cause such an effect (e.g. those containing a substance known as aminopyralid) carry warnings on the product label and specific directions as to appropriate conditions of use. If your supplier's livestock were fed with grass, hay or silage produced elsewhere, then you should trace back to the original grower to obtain this information. Back to Top

gunDriller | 08-20-2009 08:29 PM
Re: Herbicide Creates Killer Compost i tried looking up the spec for this stuff. i got a spec from Dow Agro, but it's kind of long. i wanted to find out if there's a temperature that will break down the herbicide. i know a compost pile can get up to 160 F and in specialized circumstances can get hotter, e.g. 240 F.

Goldhedge | 08-20-2009 08:33 PM
Re: Herbicide Creates Killer Compost Quote:
Originally Posted by Golddust (Post 1877702) But after four months it can be used for fodder.
So you feed it to your cattle, who then crap out compost and then what??? or IS THIS the problem?

Golddust | 08-20-2009 08:47 PM
Re: Herbicide Creates Killer Compost Quote:
Originally Posted by ;1878409 So you feed it to your cattle, who then crap out compost and then what??? or IS THIS the problem?
Goldhedge Still trying to look into it. But the way I read it the crap may still be the problem because the chemical is still active in the crap... Going by what I have found it needs to be composted for 2 years to let the microbes totally break it down.. Kinda sucks But I'm still looking to see if there is a faster way to clean up the soil in gardens..

nadcarves | 08-23-2009 07:28 PM
Re: Herbicide Creates Killer Compost Checking for weed killers in the soil or compost is easy. Get some raw peanuts and sprout them. After they are up a short way, make a tea with water poured through the suspected contaminated compost.. If the peanuts keep growing, everything is fine. Should they die....problems.. Making compost, buy a 40 pound bag of dried molasses. Stir a couple of pounds into the compost pile. Keep the Nitrogen level up with your urine dilluted to about 1 in 5 water..The dried molasses is a cattle feed supplement , and can be found at most Mills. It acts as a super food for the bacteria, the N2 acts as a fertilizer..Don't let the compost pile go dry, and you should be OK. Cordially Nad:s1: PS some of the dried molasses in the top layer of your garden soil will give a boost to soil bacteria and productivity

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