Author Topic: Progress to date  (Read 3386 times)

ancellsfarmer

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Re: Progress to date
« Reply #20 on: June 28, 2020, 13:35:18 »
I've had a few aubergine plants collapse this week as the compost got water-logged... managed to rescue them but it wasn't a good experience... I may have to move to the Dordogne when I retire after all.....
You might find a few bags of sharp sand would be generally more tolerable!
Freelance cultivator qualified within the University of Life.

ancellsfarmer

  • Hectare
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  • Posts: 1,335
  • Plot is London clay, rich in Mesozoic fossils
Re: Progress to date
« Reply #21 on: June 28, 2020, 17:22:35 »
TEE Gee ,
I think what you are suffering is a trace of aminopyralid/clomoprid contamination. This may be because your compost is blended with green waste compost (to reduce /substitute the peat content) .Somebody has put their treated lawn mowings into the green waste skip at a tip somewhere, or it may be that the blend contains straw from cereal or bean production in agriculture. If you care to examine the Charles Dowding website,
https://charlesdowding.co.uk/
 he has a growing list of problems reported. Suggest that you get the supplier to give you their test results of a sample. also, do you have the bag, which should have the batch reference. Which brand is it? A free supply would be equitable
It may be worth taking cuttings as side shoots appear, grow them on in your  best soil and feed them Tomorite or similar.For comparison /crop.
Further to this matter, Charles Dowding has put a further advice in his July topic. I hope he will not mind if I quote it here directly.
"Pyralid weedkillers

This horrible problem does not go away – in fact it’s getting far worse and thousands are suffering, many without knowing. See my videos to check symptoms, the inward curling and stunted new leaves.

It looks like there is a little (all you need for problems) in composts as diverse as J Arthur Bower, Earthcycle peat free,  and Pro Grow. I receive many photos from worried gardeners and none of them in my experience are “nutrient imbalances” or “caused by no dig”, which is what the sellers like to claim. Or that the compost is “too rich”. Sigh!

Don’t be fobbed off by such excuses and report your problems to the CRD at email address below.

Sources of this powerful poison include Grazon weedkiller, and many products for LAWNS! Hence the problem with green waste composts, which somebody needs to address soon, before we are unable to trust them.

Poisoned potato plant
Sent to me by a gardener, this potato is growing in J Arthur Bower compost
Bed of J Arthur Bower compost
Bed filled with JAB compost in spring, planted to potatoes and beans
Tomato in different bought composts
The gardener was not sure which compost caused this, she used two different ones, tomato plant has classic symptoms of pyralid poison

Press Release Text June 2020

Worrying damage to plants from herbicide contamination in compost: organic organisations take action.

In 2019 gardeners noticed significant damage to some of their plants – particularly annual vegetables which showed weak and stunted growth.  It is thought the problem came from weedkiller residues remaining in compost and manure.  There were multiple reports circulating on social media, and professional gardener and well-known proponent of ‘No Dig’, Charles Dowding, raised awareness in the Daily Telegraph in July 2019, which resulted in a six-fold increase in gardeners reporting similar damage.

One probable culprit was identified as the chemical ‘aminopyralid’, which is used by farmers and local councils as a weed killer for grasslands.  When grass cuttings and weeds which have been treated with this particular chemical are incorporated into manure or compost, or fed to animals whose manure is then used, the residue remains, and can contaminate the mix with devastating effect.
James Campbell, Chief Executive of Garden Organic says:

“This poisoning has been of huge concern to growers and gardeners. Particularly as many may not have connected the distressing plant damage to the organic compost or manure in which they grow.”

Garden Organic, the Soil Association, and the Organic Growers Alliance, have worked collaboratively to investigate the aminopyralid contamination. They met with Corteva, the agricultural chemical manufacturer and distributor, who make the deadly herbicide.

Corteva themselves are investigating the issue.  But their knowledge of actual incidents is likely to be incomplete as not many growers know of Corteva’s existence, nor how to contact them. So now organic growers want an independent assessor involved.

“We encourage growers who think they may have been affected to contact the government’s Chemical Regulations Division,” says Peter Richardson, Chair of the Organic Growers Alliance.  “As part of the Health and Safety Executive, CRD monitor contamination incidents – which still occur despite their clear warnings to users on how to use aminopyralids,” (see below in Notes for Editors.)  We think it is simpler and more effective if growers send an email to both CRD and Corteva.”

“We are asking CRD to work with Corteva to find a lasting solution to this issue and address any future impact on growers using manure, or green waste/municipal compost,” says Gareth Morgan, Head of Farming and Land Use Policy at the Soil Association. “We encourage all growers who think they may have been affected to make use of the impartial process to sort out this issue once and for all.”

If you think your plants have been poisoned, emails should be sent to CRDEnforcement@hse.gov.uk and UKHotline@corteva.com, headed “Aminopyralid contamination”.

    Notes for Editors

In order to prevent contamination from aminopyralids, the CRD has the following guidelines for all users (farmers and amenity grassland managers) of weedkillers which contain them:

    Do not use any plant material treated with
        Sale!
        2020 Calendar X 5 all signed
        £66.00 £20.47

for composting or mulching.
Do not use manure for composting from animals fed on crops treated with

    Sale!
    2020 Calendar X 5 all signed
    £66.00 £20.47

    .

20 thoughts on “July 2020 summer unfolds with more sowings, interplanting, weeds to hoe or pull, seeds to save, potato harvests and beware pyralids”
"Taken from https://charlesdowding.co.uk/july-2020-summer-unfolds-with-more-sowings-interplanting-weeds-to-hoe-or-pull-seeds-to-save-potato-harvests-and-beware-pyralids/"

Please take the time to complain as above if you think you may have been affected. We can only complain until some action is forced by Defra
« Last Edit: June 28, 2020, 17:27:20 by ancellsfarmer »
Freelance cultivator qualified within the University of Life.

 

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