It is not often that I stick my head above the parapet and look the world in the eye. I don’t read newspapers, and I don’t watch or listen to the news. I have even been known to ask friends, “Which political party is in power?” – or, “Who is the prime minister at the moment?”
Is this socially irresponsible? – Possibly. Is it better for my peace of mind? Definitely.
However over the past month– something has come up and been voiced around the blogs and forums that even I cannot ignore. Yesterday Little Gem’s post prodded my conscience and I am adding my voice to hers and other bloggers to express concern over the hormone herbicide “Aminopyralid”. Which is produced by Dow AgroSciences
I don’t know if this is a “storm in a teacup” or something that will have a longer-term effect on our land and it is perhaps this “not knowing” that distresses me most of all.
Those of us that grow our own veg – care for our soil. We know that soil in good heart will produce great veg.
We know what is in our soil because we dug it in. I try and be organic in my vegetable garden and what is the first thing organic gardeners turn to? – a pile of well-rotted manure.
However it would now appear that some farmyard manure is contaminated. This contamination is the result of spraying grassland to kill off broad leaf weeds with an industrial herbicide, aminopoyralid (It also goes by other names). Animals have then grazed the land or been fed hay or silage made from the treated land. Traces of the herbicide remain in the animal dung – even after this manure has been rotted down and sold on to the gardener.
If you use “infected” manure – the resultant plants are distorted (see links below) – so I guess you wouldn’t be eating those anyway – but I do have to ask myself – What about the plants that don’t show distortions – how safe are those to eat? What about next years veg? What are the long-term effects of strong industrial herbicide to our planet?
The PSD (Pesticides Safety Directorate) states that; – as long as the contaminated manure has been fully rotavated into the soil to aid decomposition it should be safe for growing plants in the Spring of 2009.
The PSD also says that; -
“…. using manure which may contain residues of aminopyralid does not have implications for human health”
Quoted from the PSD websites regulatory update 18/2008 Issued 11th July 2008
I think that currently we are only seeing the tip of the ice-burg – and, if what I read in the forums proves to be true – it may be the case that this contamination has also got into grow-bags and commercially bagged soil improvers – but I imagine that the suppliers of these products are still testing for this.
It is not just vegetables that are affected – it may also damage some flowers, trees and shrubs that have “infected” muck spread over the beds.
I have written this post because I am concerned about anything that may poison our earth – despite assurances that in a years time, if the contaminated manure is well rotavated into the soil the herbicide will break down.
Although we have been assured that this contamination will not affect the health of either the animals it passes through or humans. What about other costs? The financial cost of loosing a season of vegetable growing? – The emotional cost of poisoning your own patch of dirt?
This all applies to the UK – I don’t know about other countries – and I would urge you to discover for yourself if this product is being used in your country
Please don’t use the comments to name and blame, but do check out the links and draw your own conclusions and formulate what action(s) if any you will take, whether it is writing to your MP, calling for some accountability, boycotting a particular product, or just avoiding shit for the time being.
Me – well I will be ducking back down behind the parapet again – contemplate my big pile of animal poo and wonder what to do with it. Then I will just do my best to ensure that everyone I come in to contact with is aware of the situation.
Links for you to check out.
Green Lane Allotments. An informative web page with lots of information and links including photos of how affected plants look. Green Lane blog is here
Allotment Growing Diary. Again a lot of information and pictures of affected produce.
Royal Horticultural Society - Weedkiller in Manure.
PSD- Pesticides Safety Directorate (Home Page)
PSD – 11th July Update
Garden Organic – The UK’s Leading organic growing charity. An interesting article.
Dow AgroSciences – A notice for UK allotment holders and gardeners.
This is a very important post – and an eye-opener no doubt! I’ll try to find out more.
Katarina
This was an issue covered on this week’s Gardener’s question time on Radio 4-
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/gqt/
-where you can listen again to the broadcast-it’s nearer the end than the beginning. The Gardener’s Question Time website has some useful links too.
I found the whole thought of this very upsetting. As you say-trying to grow some of my own produce in an earth and Earth friendly way, only to find I might be inadvertently making things worse.
In the meantime, I guess the best we can do is tell everyone about this and find out if our own piles of poo were from a source that used the spray or not, and act on that advice.
Thanks for flagging this issue up. It is potentially hugely important.
Hi Karen,
Great post, it needs bringing to peoples attention, otherwise the culpable will continue being irresponsible.
Don’t know if you have seen Cleve West’s blog ‘Tilth and Tillage’, (there’s a link in my side bar). about this along with photos of the damage it does. His London allotment has been delivered this contaminated manure by their council, no doubt many others have too. And the crops they were growing have been effected adverserly. It’s worry to know that it is in the foodchain, milk , meat, and now veg! When will these people ever learn that if you mess with nature she will turn around and bite back twice as hard.
Zoë
Great post, Karen. Perhaps you ought to come out from behind your parapet, and get into politics! (On the other hand, I really envy you the parapet… )
Thanks for pointing this out and providing resources. I’ve not heard of this … yet another worrisome pesticide.
Ok. You know I don’t use pesticides or chemicals unless I really really have to. I don’t like what they do to mother nature, especially the wildlife. Now it would seem that I have to be carefull where my manure comes from.
When we had foot and mouth a few years ago, one of the alleged causes suggested was farmers feeding their animals other animals (the feed was made up of remains from the slaughter houses), and our planet is getting hotter and hotter due to green house gases (I hate that term).
I’m sure that most gardeners are responsible people and recycle what they can etc, but you have to wonder if there is any point if these big companies have so little respect for both their customers and more importantly our planet.
I’m afraid that the huge amounts of money spent by the chemical company bringing this to market ($80M +) means they won’t let it be banned without a fight.
So, gardeners and growers are going to have to change how they grow. You can’t really trace the provenance of manure – bets will in the world, farmers use contractors and they may not even know it’s been used.
Exactly how we’re going to have to change, I don’t know. Perhaps manure will have to be piled for 3 years as standard or tested with sacrificial plantings before actual use.
The old and sound advice to apply manure before planting potatoes is out. It’s a disgrace.
Eeek! Another thing to worry about. I’m convinced that a lot of our present maladies are due to chemicals. In the U.S., the large agrifarms seem to love them. Thanks for the heads up. I’ll be on the lookout for this.~~Dee
I hadn’t heard of this either and I try to garden organically as well. I’m off to check out those resources now!
It is quite shocking. I’ve not used manure for many, many years (relying on garden compost) but I do see how gardeners would view it as a safe organic source of nutrients and humus for the soil.
Unfortunately a lot of what goes into the food chain comes out at the other end. Not all of it is beneficial.
Hi,
Oh dear, here I am concerned about honey bees, and now there is this new concern you raise. Thank you for the info; I will check it out, here in California.
We do all want a healthy earth. After all, my name is Latin for earth,
Terra
I got that nervous feeling already when I read the subject Heading – you know that chocolate I eat every week – well a few times every week.
This is why I always choose organic milk products – at least they have not sprayed the fields they are grassing – and yes cows that produce organic milk must have access to grass. Only problem with organic production is that they allow to use 25 percent non organic grown grains and grass to be used to feed them! At least I let my maneure age for 2-3 years! Herbicides should be illegal! they also cause problems poluting the water even though producers
claim it doesn’t – why do it show up in water well tests if it broken down after 1- or 2 weeks. No – there is no easy solutions in a spraytank.
Thank you all very much for taking the time to leave a comment.
Karen