Contaminated horse manure.

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Contaminated horse manure.
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Tavascarow

Joined: 06 Aug 2006
Posts: 8407
Location: South Cornwall

Posted: Mon Jun 16, 08 12:28 pm Post subject: Contaminated horse manure.

Been reading a thread in another forum about horse manure affecting crops grown thereafter.
Apparently Forefront which is a herbicide used on cereal crops to kill broad leaved weeds binds to the lignum in straw & is persistant even after 2 or 3 years.
Just thought I'd let you know as it seems to be affecting a lot of crops particularly potatoes that have been grown using manure from treated straw.
Another good reason to go organic.
Link to other forum.
here
Thanks Sean.

Last edited by Tavascarow on Mon Jun 16, 08 1:13 pm; edited 1 time in total

frewen

Joined: 08 Sep 2005
Posts: 11405

Posted: Mon Jun 16, 08 12:33 pm Post subject:
That's really interesting - thanks for posting it

sean
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42207
Location: North Devon

Posted: Mon Jun 16, 08 12:56 pm Post subject: Re: Contaminated horse manure.

TAVASCAROW wrote:

Can some one point me to a thread that tells me how to shorten links please as I still can't remember.

Here you go.

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Mon Jun 16, 08 2:32 pm Post subject:

I thought it sounded a bit far fetched but their link to the RHS
https://mygarden.rhs.org.uk/blogs/vegpert_blog/archive/2008/06/13/dodgy-muck.aspx
confirms it and they link to the manufactures site that states farmers shouldn't supply manure containing treated plants to the general public for garden use. So, not only does the herbicide sound risky but people aren't following the instructions for it correctly.

SarahB

Joined: 09 Sep 2007
Posts: 869
Location: South Wales

Posted: Mon Jun 16, 08 4:17 pm Post subject:
I shall stick to muck from my friend's horses then..... Thanks for the info!

Home on the Hill

Joined: 06 Feb 2005
Posts: 313
Location: Warwickshire

Posted: Mon Jun 16, 08 9:20 pm Post subject: Re: Contaminated horse manure.

TAVASCAROW wrote:

Another good reason to go organic.

Unfortunately, there's no requirement for organic farmers to use organic bedding for their livestock - so there can still be a problem even if you get your muck from an organic farm.
Herbicide damage is a big problem this year - the Pesticide Safety Directorate are due to make an announcement on this any day now - so watch their website and gardening press for more news.

Carrie

Slim

Joined: 05 Mar 2006
Posts: 6540
Location: New England (In the US of A)

Posted: Mon Jun 16, 08 10:27 pm Post subject:

do you mean the 'lignin' in the straw?

Industrial composting can deal with some contaminants, but certainly not all. For any other scale (farm, home, etc...) remember the golden rule: you get out what you put in; garbage in - garbage out! You don't magically get rid of nasty elements (though some nasty organic compounds), and you don't magically accumulate desired elements (like nitrogen)

If a golf course course is attempting to do the right thing by composting their grass clippings, huzzah! ...but only if they don't use crabgrass killer. Then they're accumulating arsenic.

Tavascarow

Joined: 06 Aug 2006
Posts: 8407
Location: South Cornwall

Posted: Mon Jun 16, 08 11:02 pm Post subject:
Oops! Spent enough time in India to know what a lignum is. Yes lignin. I got offered a big pile of horse poo the other day but I think I better check their spraying regime first before I fetch it. I know the farmer who lets the fields to the horses sprayed to kill the buttercups & docks, hope it wasn't this product.

Tavascarow

Joined: 06 Aug 2006
Posts: 8407
Location: South Cornwall

Posted: Mon Jun 16, 08 11:04 pm Post subject:

Soapnutter wrote:

I shall stick to muck from my friend's horses then.....
Thanks for the info!

Where do they get their bedding?
If they are buying straw in then it could still be contaminated.

Tavascarow

Joined: 06 Aug 2006
Posts: 8407
Location: South Cornwall

Posted: Wed Jun 18, 08 1:25 pm Post subject:
https://www.rhs.org.uk/news/Weedkiller-manure.asp

wildfoodie

Joined: 05 Apr 2005
Posts: 2169

Posted: Fri May 15, 09 6:46 am Post subject:
Dodgy aminopyralid contaminated horse poo is still around... I just heard about some allotment growers round here who've lost about a third of their growing space from it. Tragic.

RichardW

Joined: 24 Aug 2006
Posts: 8443
Location: Llyn Peninsular North Wales

Posted: Fri May 15, 09 8:12 am Post subject: Re: Contaminated horse manure.

Home on the Hill wrote:

TAVASCAROW wrote:

Another good reason to go organic.

Unfortunately, there's no requirement for organic farmers to use organic bedding for their livestock - so there can still be a problem even if you get your muck from an organic farm.

Carrie

But I then assume that they wont be able to spread that non organic bedding / compost on organic land?

Richard

Home on the Hill

Joined: 06 Feb 2005
Posts: 313
Location: Warwickshire

Posted: Fri May 15, 09 8:37 am Post subject:
Well, organic regulations say something like anything that has been composted for 6 months can be used on organic land, regardless of whether the ingredients were organic or not. Usually this causes no problems as most baddies break down quickly in the composting process - but not aminopyralid. Hence the problems. Carrie

TheGrange

Joined: 12 Apr 2009
Posts: 874

Posted: Fri May 15, 09 9:04 am Post subject:
we use mats, so the horses manure is purely that .. what goes in comes out kind of affair ... no additives

Tavascarow

Joined: 06 Aug 2006
Posts: 8407
Location: South Cornwall

Posted: Fri May 15, 09 9:35 am Post subject:

TheGrange wrote:

we use mats, so the horses manure is purely that .. what goes in comes out kind of affair ... no additives

Ok if the ground they graze hasn't been sprayed with aminopyralid but it was being hailed as the best thing since sliced bread up till last year for broad leaved weed removal in pasture & was used on a lot of horse paddocks.
Some people had a double wammy, contaminated pasture & thus poo & contaminated straw from the bedding.
Good news is its been withdrawn from sale AFAIK but that wont stop farmers who already have it using it up.

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