Topic: glyphosate

[David R]

Question, how long does glyphosate take to break down in the soil?

The manufacturers say it breaks down quickly once in the soil, but I have read a few comments which suggests it does nay. I am trying to be as organic as reasonably possible but have spayed a part of the back of my plot/bramble yard in order to clear next year.

[gavin]

Hmmm - difficult one that.  The manufacturers don't often mention their additives and surfactants?  "As nasty, if not nastier" ???

http://217.154.68.186/pestnews/actives/glyphosa.htm - worth a deeper look?

All best - Gavin

[Derek]

A colleague of mine who is pretty will up on agricultural chemicals informed me that Glyphosate is transmitted through the foliage to the roots. As soon as it contacts soil it becomes inert and the area can be planted straight away.

Last year I treated a large area covered in couch grass in the late spring and raised a fine crop of runner beans, courgettes and tomatoes afterwards..it is still couch grass free and has crops growing well this year too

Derek

 

[tim]

The fact that a crop was raised afterwards does not mean that some unpleasantness remained to taint the crop?

I use it a lot, but never where growing. But, given a good delay, I would clear a plot with it.

[honeybee]

Ive been using it but it still wont kill off my unidentified plant that self seeds in the lawn even though ive not had that plant in the garden for years now  >:(

[philcooper]

A colleague of mine who is pretty will up on agricultural chemicals informed me that Glyphosate is transmitted through the foliage to the roots. As soon as it contacts soil it becomes inert and the area can be planted straight away.

Derek,

Your friend is quoting the manufacturers' view, it does become inert in terms of weedkilling. but see Gavin's link for details of research that show that life isn't quite that simple.

There's also a Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations report http://www.fao.org/docrep/W8141E/w8141e0u.htm that points out that glyphosate turns into aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA). AMPA is very similar to glyphosate and has been found to adversely effect rats in their diet.

Phil

[David R]

Thanks,

I will use cautiously perhaps with 12 months between use and planting just to be sure. Next year will be 100% organic methods.

Which leads to an intresting thought; how "organic" can one actually be certain of being on an allotment. Our neighbours may use chemicals which leach into the soil e.g. slug pellets. The manure may have horse medicine residue and allotments are occasionally the cap of former waste disposal sites! (like one I know of).

Paranoid, ...me?

[wardy]

David   I don't know if you've looked in the mirror lately but you've definitely turned green.  It must be residues from all the glyphos  ;D

[derbex]

David,

all you can do is take heart in the fact that you're not adding anything too nasty. Ideally you would stack horse manure for a while to let the medicines &c. break down, or try and source some from an organic stable if there is such a thing. Nothing much you can do about the neighbour -but he'd need a hell of a lot of slug pellets over a long time.

In terms of your plot, one of the few advantages of having to clear one is knowing that nothing nasty has been used on it for some time, unless it's been a dumping ground of course.

Jeremy

[David R]

i glow in the dark too ;D