Comments on: Contaminated Manure Aminopyralid Update

By: John

John — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 09:12:32 +0000

Perhaps Mike’s experience is the perfect reason for banning this chemical – no matter what the legal position, these things get misused.

I do have some sympathy – people just don’t realise how powerful these things can be. Surely a trace can’t do that? But it does.

By: Gbar

Gbar — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 08:22:33 +0000

Dear Mike

Do you realise that you and your neighbour have broken the law. It is illegal to supply agrochemicals if you are not a registered and certificated supplier. It is also illegal to use a professional farm product on a garden.

I have little sympathy for you. What do you expect when you say you lightly rinsed the container before using Roundup (was this a present also) By the way where did you drain your sprayer washings, down the drain?

By: Mike

Mike — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 01:33:47 +0000

Thanks for this site. I had used some Forefront to kill some thistle in my pasture, A neighbor had given me some to try. I Then used the same sprayer after only lightly rinsing the container to make up some Roundup to spray a area of grass that was going to become our garden. Well nothing is growing well this year, leaf curl or stunted growth if at all and a large lilac bush and Catulpa tree next to the garden are now turning brown after having the leaves curl. I coudnt figure out what happened until I read this site. It all makes sense now. Go figure the weeds are doing well that came up from seed. I never use Forefront again.

By: Tom Fish

Tom Fish — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 20:52:03 +0000

I have had the same problem as you. I found that my water butts had been contaminated by washing my hands and vegetables that had been in well manured soil. I believe the contamination was due to aminopyralid. Make sure all water butts are thoroughly cleaned, including watering cans.

Hope things improve for you.

Tom and Kath from Bury Lancs

By: Vanessa Garstin

Vanessa Garstin — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 12:00:40 +0000

So … Looking to the future … has anyone been given a sensible course of action to take in order to combat this devastation???

What are you doing with your plots ?????????

So far this year only ‘pockets’ of this has appeared on my plot. Spuds looked like photo above, runners just didn’t! and turned yellow and spotty, the beans such as they are all curly like the leaves! I have not yet dug the spuds.

Having had an immense amount of rain the bean growth has improved and returned to more like normality !?!? What is interesting is I have 4 varieties growing and White Lady has weathered the ’storm’ better than ther rest! This indicates some varieties might be more immune than others ?????

Re the ‘pockets’ … the farmer where I purchased my manure has horses at livery … he does not supply hay and has no idea where his clients buy theirs. That is why infection seems to be very spasmodic in my supply.

It would seem a waste of time to try to track things backwards. It is clearly out of control. Better to raise awareness in every direction …

…. and to plan how to cope with it once infected!

By: Bob

Bob — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 11:36:41 +0000

Couldn’t be sure about some of my failures – last summer was so bad that I wasn’t surprised that my outside tomatoes rotted on the vine. This year had been going well until I put some dwarf french beans into B&Q peat-free compost for a late harvest. I’m already eating the early crop grown in a previous batch of the same compost bought months ago. The new beans are coming up wrinkled and yellow. Worse – I repotted my 20 year-old ginger plant in the same compost and the leaves have turned yellow and are dying back. I’ve been complaining to any government department which will listen and will go on doing so until I get answers that satisfy me.

By: Pete

Pete — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 17:46:16 +0000

This issue is still prevalent, I have a ruined 3 acre plot because I saw a sign saying “free manure”. The equestrian centre has been told in writing about the issue, yet did not warn me and still has the free manure sign up with no warning.

Dow chemical should be made to pay for our ruined crops, and banned from selling this poison!

By: anthony edgecombe

anthony edgecombe — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 23:42:55 +0000

just exactly how much ‘exstensive’ testing do these companys do on their products? obviously the term ‘food chain’ hasnt been heard of!

By: Adam Morris

Adam Morris — Thu, 21 May 2009 17:56:05 +0000

happy i found this thread as it has put me out of my misery , i noticed my spuds were showing the symptoms in this article. my second year at the allotment, first time i have used manure.

sweetcorn , beetroots, spincah looks OK as do the leeks. i will plant my reserve courgettes in a new plot.

show i use the produce that does grow ??

By: Susanna

Susanna — Wed, 20 May 2009 19:28:19 +0000

My potatoes, broad beans, peas sown into manured ground are destroyed! The leaves are curling and distorted and failing to grow.

I got my manure last winter from a local stables who assured me their animals aren’t grazed on sprayed fields, but did admit to buying in winter hay.

My problem is that I have a lot of plants growing on in cold-frames which should be planted out very soon. How can I decontaminate the soil and if so can I do it in time?

By: Sue Fielding

Sue Fielding — Mon, 11 May 2009 19:46:06 +0000

11 May 2009

After a disastrous year last year with contaminated manure, i chose this year to plant my tomatoes in the greenhouse in grow bags bought from B&Q. Already,some of my plants which are 18″ high are showing the typical sins of contortion and curling.
I am not happy.
No manures have been used

Does anyone else have any information or symptoms yet.
Surely I cannot be the only person affected.

By: Tintin

Tintin — Mon, 11 May 2009 11:57:31 +0000

I have been spreading infected manure all over my garden and allotment. Spuds,toms and beans all ruined. BEWARE!

By: DW Fillip

DW Fillip — Wed, 06 May 2009 17:52:11 +0000

Our soil is predominately black gumbo (heavy clay); therefore I have heavily amended my garden for years using compost greensand, decomposed granite, manure, composed wood chips, peat, organic fertilizer, dried molasses, etc. I have a large garden and generally purchase the amendments in bulk when possible. I always speak with the source from which I purchase about my organic preferences. Living in an environmentally conscience area I have not had difficulty locating and using organic methods for gardening. This year I decided to plant my potatoes above ground in hay and amended soil. The hay I used was from bails I had stored outside for 3 years but I did purchase bags of manure compost and composted wood chip mulch. I did not have any bulk at the time and for convenience decided to purchase it from well recognized nursery garden supply. I have four verities of potatoes (Russet, Red La Soda, a blue from the grocery, and Kennebec) planted in 4’ diameter X 4’ high wire cages to which I placed the hay, manure, and amended soil. I notice 4-6 weeks ago the curling on the Kennebec potato. I asked several master gardeners to no avail and have stumbled across this web-site. Now I believe I purchased bag manure or mulch with aminopyralid contamination. From reading here I think it might be the manure. I pose a couple of questions for someone more knowledgeable than I about this issue. Can hay stored outdoors for several years hold the contamination? The hay was given to me and I am not sure of the source. Will the potatoes develop and if they do are they safe to eat? I will probably throw them out or remove them from my garden. Thanks for any help you may provide.

By: Organic Sue

Organic Sue — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 15:06:05 +0000

Fairly early last season, just after planting my beans, tomatoes etc into good rich organic manure(?), the plants showed the now-familiar symptoms of poisoning by aminopyralite. We all know why now but has anyone found out from the Soil Association or some such whether the soil is going to be safe this year? I am wary of starting my tomato plants onlu to find, at the end of May when they go outside, that the soil is still poisoned.

By: John

John — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 23:17:24 +0000

I’m afraid it has had a negative effect on the perception of farmers. We were told that the farmers were told to warn about the manure and so we naturally blame them. It’s obvious that the warnings were hardly clear to Hefin, a farmer – after all he’s suffering like any gardener.

By: Hefin LLwyd

Hefin LLwyd — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 11:56:19 +0000

Having just read your very interesting article on herbicide residues in manure, I feel that I must pass on my findings. I am a large scale sheep farmer in Mid Devon, and being a predominantly grass based farm, heavily reliant on clover for nitrogen fixation and all the bonuses that brings, we were dismayed when our product of choice Legumex( a clover friendly herbicide) was withdrawn from use. We are continuosly battling against weeds such as Creeping Thistle, Dock, etc, and after a high profile ad campaign by Dow we tried Forefront (aminopyralid). We knew it would kill clover but we then oversow clover seed into the sward, but when I read on the data sheet that it had to have a 4 month interval from spraying to sowing clover , I was quite shocked at it’s persistency! That has certainly been the case as well and in some circumstances clover has even failed to germinate on the sprayed fields 12 months later.Then this summer we lost 5 sheep that had grazed a sprayed field, and we had observed the allowed non grazing time.(2 of the sheep were PM’ed but no conclusive findings on how they died, but it was certainly in my mind a poison effect rather than the usually observed sheep ailments!) This finally brings me to the point I am trying to make, I am also a keen gardener and have ample manure from the farm, but having had crop failures on onions potatoes and root crops for the past 2 years, I have realised that the manure was contaminated and that my organic farming method was to blame!!!!. I am now in a pickle because we have probably no “safe” manure on the farm, so will have to resort to chemical methods, for my 1.5 acre garden.
Finally with my farming hat on, I am very dissapointed for the thousands of gardeners who use manure from their local farms, only to find it is a hidden menace, I hope this will not have a negative feedback on farmers, because as is always the case, it is big multi-nationals brainwashing us into using products, that are repoprtedly safe,and I can only appologise for this.

By: Detectorman

Detectorman — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 11:41:26 +0000

Hi,as an amateur gardener and grower of Tomatoes, Potatoes, prize Chrysanthemums and many other odd and sod plants, I have too experienced the curled up leaves on my Tomatoes and Potatoes, also poor crop returns.
I have also been a metal detectorist for a number of years, and the number of fields I have walked on which have been swamped with raw slurry, beggars belief.
After reading many of the comments made I do think it’s time to act now.
As I only use compost from reputable garden centers and large stores it appears to me that it has not been my poor quality management techniques, but the poor quality of the compost that I used. All my plants are grown in pots, large and small, buckets and tubs.
I have not submitted my name because some of the farmers who have given me permission to go onto their land could withdraw it if these comments were conected to me.
So, just call me detectorman.

By: Theresa Gillham

Theresa Gillham — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 21:03:02 +0000

I have grown organically on my allotment for well over 20 years, but this year I had run out of my usual manure and bought in three sacks of “Country Natural 100% organic manure” from my local branch of Hilliers Garden Centres (Winchester in Hampshire) and dug it into my greenhouse borders. Most of the tomatoes grew reasonably well at first, but two didn’t and then many of the others manifested the curling and cup-shaped leaves typical of hormone weed killer damage. After reading about Aminopyralid I contacted Hilliers (who knew nothing), then the suppliers of the composted manure. The supplier was helpful and concerned and admitted mine was not the first telephone call about this problem. His manure comes from, amongst others, the Metropolitan Police stables and the Household Cavalry. These and his other suppliers insisted that the feed they gave their horses was not treated, but obviously somewhere along the line there was a problem. Two of my tomato plants have died, others have leaves that seem to be growing out of the curling stage. Most of the plants have a huge crop of tomatoes. All the emphasis seems to be on vegetables/fruit and ornamentals – the fact that cows eat the contaminated grass and then produce milk, milk products and meat seems to have been overlooked. Tests have been carried out which have established that residues of Aminopyralid have been found in the livers, kidneys and I believe milk, of some animals and the government is rather belatedly issuing guidelines on maximum levels. Dow Agro should be held accountable for their appalling product. The government wishes us to accept GM foods, but an American company can produce something so destructive and either know little of its long-term effects on other species, or choose to keep the knowledge quietly hidden in the fine print.

By: trucker don

trucker don — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 05:29:59 +0000

Greetings from the USA…I’ve been lurking; hope you don’t mind. Thanks for all the work and info on aminopyralid (AP) contaminated manure. I feel your pain…I have your pain. Garden is ruined (stunted plants, curled tomato leaves, non-formed radishes, 4-month old carrots an inch long, bean leaves yellowing and dropping, etc. ad nauseum. I do find the “test” for AP that consists of planting tomato seeds in the muck and see if they grow deformed to be absurd. There is a test for AP down to 1 ppb. I recommend an article titled “Use Caution When Harvesting and Feeding Ditch Hay” by the U of Minnesota Extension Service. Please note: Morse Labs of Sacramento, Ca. no longer does this testing, but apparently Anatek Labs still does (www.anateklabs.com) They have their price sheet and list of tests available right there. A test for AP is $150 US I believe; I assume there are similar labs in the UK? (The EPA test methods are either 505 or 515.) This pyralid (variations) problem has been known for many years, it appears. This really sucks to get hosed like this and have contaminated soil for at least two more years, IF you’ll ever trust it again. I feel sorry for us all. FYI: I assume you have read the scientific article “Aminopyralid Contamination in Farmyard Manure” by Dr. Eric Crouch of East Sussex. Also, “Aminopyralid (You got herbicide in my fertilizer!)” speculates on why this stuff doesn’t break down in the digestive system of the ruminants that eat contaminated grass, for the chemists among you. A ray of hope: if this AP can pass through a cow’s many stomachs intact, maybe it can pass through one more stomach as we eat contaminated produce! Lastly, I have sent manure samples to two different labs for analysis and don’t expect to hear anything for several weeks unless someone put a rush rush on it, so I have nothing more to add. Keep up the good work. Thank you.

By: John

John — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 12:09:50 +0000

Please note the updates at the top of this page.

By: peter a lawrence

peter a lawrence — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 07:51:50 +0000

In summer 2007 i bought 10 cubic metres of “50% well rotted horse manure/50% loam” that looked very good and spent ages wheeling and spreading 230 wheelbarrow loads. Since then i havent been able to grow many veges, last year it was a write off, this year i get almost nothing. now i am worrying about fruittrees that i mulched with about 4 inches of this stuff. all along i thought i have just spread too much and the RHS told me in 2007 it was just a balance problem or “sour mulch”. I tested the pH it was normal. Now 18 months after i spread the mulch i figure i am in deep trouble, do i try and scrape it off from around the plants. For example the Autumn Bliss raspberries. I mulched them and then they grew fine, but this year, i assume the stuff is getting down to the roots as they have all gone yellow and stopped yielding. Even after many digs my vegetables are only just beginning to recover a little. My onions all died. At least i now have a hypothesis, but no useful diagnostic test for it. What can we do?

Peter

By: Peter Pipe

Peter Pipe — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 14:12:58 +0000

I have had no problems with potatoes/beans etc but the manure I used was bagged and from a garden centre. However,like some of your correspondents, I have had problems with tomtatoes grown in growbags and crops/plants grown on in bagged composts from garden centres. I even had a young Goji bush plant shrivel up and die, as did my peppers etc, but one I planted directly into the garden, containing my own compost, has thrived! I hope that this can be resolved quickly.

By: Edward Henry Gliddon

Edward Henry Gliddon — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 14:18:49 +0000

I had this problem with compost.Two years ago and again this season.I have been given to understand that it is something that has been sprayed onto the compost material.

By: Kev Girling

Kev Girling — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 07:10:20 +0000

Try using Pig Muck instead…..they don’t eat grass.

By: david stockton

david stockton — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 20:05:54 +0000

hi there. last year on my allotment my potatoes and peas and also my sweetpeas had the curly leafs on them and i put it down to the muck i got from a farmer ,he said it was old muck but when it came it was half and half old and new ,iput some in the trenchs and that was the result the potatoes were poor and also the peas ,ive not used it this year onty old compost and had a bumper crop ,the only thing is ive got a cyst on my eye and was wundering if ive picked of the allotment?davi stockton.

By: Mike Geddes

Mike Geddes — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 09:19:50 +0000

I have also had a problem with rhubarb which was top dressed with contaminated manure in spring 2007. The 2007 crop showed the classic leaf curling and the leaves were much smaller than usual. This year there were still slight signs of curling early in the year but now the plant looks healthy again. Question is, is it now safe to eat?

By: jeff sheard

jeff sheard — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 08:41:57 +0000

The saga about contaminated manure carries on.i first noticed problems on my plot about the first week in june.
I eventualy got the pesticide safety direcrtorate to dispatch a man from yory to take samples. The contraption they use to isolate the herbicide costs thousands of pounds to develop and instal. I honestley dont think there are many labs who have the equipment or knowhow to check for traces of Aminopyralid or any other herbicide.Dow agro-sciences know this.Hence lack of evidence if legal action
is being considered.

By: darrell

darrell — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 21:43:34 +0000

hi -i have just taken over plot that have been subject to manure -pestaside scandel crops disformed etc and i have turned over the soil but what advice if any can anyone give on the problem.
is it safe to plant this year……

By: Nicolette Hallett

Nicolette Hallett — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 17:54:07 +0000

I have had the report from the laboratory and it is inconclusive. They explain that “the problem arises in getting the compound out of complex matrices, such as composts, manures, certain crops, and soils with a high level of organic matter. Dow, with whom we have been discussing this, are also struggling with the issue.”
So there is no good test yet for contamination in the vegetables. Glad to read that it is coming off the market.

By: Susan Williams

Susan Williams — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 08:32:42 +0000

Message for Shelley and others about using manure which may be suspect: your ‘mountain pasture manure’ sounds fine but you could leave it stacked for another year, if in doubt.

How about sowing winter tares or some other kind of ‘green manure’ on all the land you clear between now and September? It’ll grow a few inches high and stand all winter. You dig it in in spring. It won’t seed all over your plot. I tried it last year and found crops growing very well this season. I sowed some broadcast and some in drills, which was fiddly but digging in was easier. Try googling ‘winter tares’ for a supplier. There are other green manures, if you don’t fancy tares.

About testing affected plants or suspect manure; there’s a firm which will test your manure/soil for £180 a go, with 35 days’ turn around. How? By growing tomato seeds in it and seeing what happens……. For £180? What is the world coming to? The firm does this, by the way, because noone has yet devised a chemical test. Perhaps Dow Chemicals could get on to it and send us all a free testing kit. (Not tomato seeds).