The Government's response - November 09
Read the Government’s response
The Government acknowledges the difficulties that the use of manure containing traces of aminopyralid has caused some gardeners and allotment holders. In issuing approvals for two new products, it carefully considered the advice of the independent Advisory Committee on Pesticides (ACP).
The restrictions on the new approvals are intended to ensure that manure containing aminopyralid does not leave the farm:
- The new products may only be used on grassland for grazing (not for forage) or amenity grassland.
- The labels must state that manure from animals grazed on grassland treated with aminopyralid should be returned directly to grassland - i.e. kept on farm. Similarly, labels will contain a warning that animal waste or plant material suspected of containing aminopyralid must not be used for composting or mulching.
- Only grassland grazed by cattle and sheep may be treated - not land grazed by horses.
DowAgrosciences has developed a communications and stewardship campaign for users and distributors to further reduce the risk of problems arising from manure containing aminopyralid residues.
The company will also submit regular reports to Government detailing any complaints and the action taken. These complaints and any received directly will be monitored and, where appropriate, investigated by the Chemicals Regulation Directorate.
If, despite these additional controls and safeguards, significant problems arise in future, the Government’s position will be reviewed again.
Latest News October 2009 - It's coming back
Dow Agro Sciences are re-introducing the aminopryalid herbicide. See http://www.dowagro.com/uk/aminopyralidsuspension.htm
Always ask your manure supplier if they are using this product. If so, beware and perhaps look for a different supply.
4th August 2009
Following email received:
Dear Fellow Allotment Holders,
You are probably aware of the withdrawal of the herbicide aminopyralid in July last year after a national outcry about the damag caused by manure contaminated with it.
Dow Agrochemicals have quietly applied for it to be reinstated and this seems likely to be granted by Govt unless protests from influential groups and individuals can prevent it.
have put a petition on the No 10 website http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/aminopyralidban/
and ask as many as possible of your members and their contacts to sign it.
For those who are unfamiliar with the problem, full details of the story which
started in early 2008 can be found at http://www.glallotments.btik.com/p_Contaminated_Manure.ikml
Thank you in advance,
John Shobbrook
Chair, Black Horse Allotments Association, Wednesbury
Original Post: (2008)
Farmyard manure tainted with a powerful pesticide residue is causing abnormal growth of vegetable crops, causing a surge of complaints from allotment holders and gardeners. The suspect manure originates from farms using the hormone-based herbicide aminopyralid, which is found in products marketed by Dow AgroSciences Ltd and is normally sprayed on pasture land to control weeds.
Manure from animals fed on these treated pastures is believed to contain enough chemical residue to damage susceptible crops including potatoes, beans, peas, carrots and salad vegetables. Ornamental plants such as delphinium, phlox and roses may also be at risk. Symptoms of damage include distorted foliage, with cupping of leaves and fern-like growth. The shoot tips grow pale, narrow and distorted, with prominent veining on the foliage. Growth generally is very stunted, leaving most crops unusable.
There are no remedies once damage has occurred and no assurance that affected produce will be safe to consume. However, there is no suggestion that children, pets, gardeners or wildlife are at risk. There is currently no testing kit or way for growers to diagnose whether their manure is tainted.
The Pesticides Safety Directorate are advising anyone who suspects their crops have been affected by contaminated manure to contact the supplier and try to confirm whether an aminopyralid product was used on any grass, hay or silage fed to the animals which produced the manure. It may be necessary to trace the original source if the grass, hay or silage was obtained from elsewhere.
If aminopyralid or one of the following products - Banish, Forefront, Halcyon, Pharaoh, Pro-Banish, or Runway - was used, then the affected grower should contact Dow AgroSciences for further advice at ukhotline@dow.com. This will help the company and the Pesticides Safety Directorate gather information on this issue.
The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), which has received a number of calls about the problem, has issued further advice to growers regarding what to do with stacked manure and buying manure in the future. RHS has advised that any potential residues in stacked manure can remain for extended periods, even up to two years.
The best advice is to return the unused manure to the supplier for them to spread on grassland. If this is not possible, it should be spread on grassy areas. Well-rotted crumbly manure can be lightly spread on lawns in late winter. As a last resort, tainted manure can be consigned to the council refuse. When buying manure in the future, growers should seek assurances from the supplier that the manure has not come from animals fed on grass or straw bedding treated with hormone weedkillers, especially aminopyralid products.
See some pictures of affected crops here..
See also the news pages of the FCFCG website at www.farmgarden.org.uk
