Allotments 4 All

come across this problem? its a new one on me  ???

It has has affected my 2nd Earlies (Kestrel) but not my earlies (Rocket) and maincrop (PFA)

Ive got that on one plant too and its also a Kestrel. Mine came from Alan Romans.

Blimey TeeGee that is strange.
From an angle it looks like they're crossing their fingers  ???

Lots of mine are the same.  Lower leaves OK, upper leaves like that.  It looks like the distortion caused by the contaminated manure but mine are in ground that has never seen it.  I am wondering if maybe the parent plant was grown in contaminated manure and the contamination has been carried through in the seed.

Thoughts?

Any aphids on them?

I have a few different plants that are simular, all of them have ants and aphids.

Neil

Will take a look at ours today

Hi,

OH came back rom the plot a couple of weeks ago convinced we had another round of contaminated soil affecting potatos as they looked a bit like this.  I looked closely and to me, it didn't look the same as the contamination damage.  I felt it might have been damage caused to the emerging shoots by the late frost.  The plants are now growing strongly again and new leaves are normal.  we haven't lifted any yet so no idea on the crop.  Just have to wait and see.  Not sure if that helps, but your leaves look similar to ours a couple of weeks ago.

Cheers

I had a lot of frost damgae, it took the tops off all the spuds. Theyve all come back though except the Lady Chrystls, not a single one of them has survived  :'( I dont understand why when theyre all in the same bed, same aspect etc.

We had tomato and potato plants on our allotment site with that kind of deformed leaf a few years back. Testing results showed it was caused by a systemic weed killer. We know now how it got there, but I'm afraid that won't help you with this. >:(

Mine are exactly the same. Found out it is contaminated manure. Lost all beans and pea's. Brassica's are growing alright but seem to go to seed fast..I'm leaving the main crop spuds to see bif I get any, but first and second earlies was rubbish.

aminopyralid-affected-potato

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Oi!  Them's my Anyas fom 2009.  John at http://www.allotment.org.uk/garden-diary/261/contaminated-manure-aminopyralid-update/  popped across the site and took a photo of our spuds and it keeps popping up all over the place.  My 5 minutes of fame.

They were in a bed with a lot of contaminated manure in it & therefore direct contact.   Not run off or the like so unless TeeGee's definitely imported some manure recently, it would seem unlikely.

Over to you TeeGee.

Mine are in the bed furthest away (about 18m) from where I have stored the remnants of the contaminated manure that I aquired three years ago.  The manure they are in this year is clean - very few other people are affected apart from one old boy on the opposite side of the site from me.  Also,. lower leaves are normal and the manure they are in was put on top of the seed potato so definitely not a case of roots reaching manure later.

QuoteTeeGee's definitely imported some manure recently, it would seem unlikely.

Over to you TeeGee

My manure was delivered last October! along with around 15 other loads from the same source. I know one other plot is affected I saw this one first and it was on seeing the damage I had a closer look at my own crop!

There will be hell on if all the other loads are affected!

I am chief manure getter! i.e. I organise the deliveries. :-[


I have sent my problem to the RHS advice Dept (I am a member) and they say it is most likely Aminopyralid based.

What they haven't told me is what to do with the affected plants or why other plants that are in contact with the same manure seem not to be affected.  ???

I await a further reply so watch this space!

According to Daw agrosciences it is not harmful to humans  :-X

Had a look at ours today and  they look ok.

Firstly, I sympathise with all that are affected this year, as our allotments were hit last year.
The photos look typical of aminopyralid  contamination of manure. Once seen, never forgotten!!
The reason why some of the first potato leaves look normal, is that the aminopyralid has not been released as it is still locked up in the grass fibres. As the soil bacteria get to work on the contaminated manure and breaks down the remains of the grass fibers, aminopyralid is released to do the damage to potatoes, peas, beans, tomatoes, lettuce, carrots, rasps in particular.
After several weeks, the worst of the aminopyralid has been released and washed down by rain, and the plants start to grow again provided the concentration of aminopyralid is not too great.
There have been several reports of dissolved aminopyralid in the ground water, affecting plants many metres away from stored manure.
For some answers, see this page :- http://www.growyourown.info/page164.html

For a full history and locations of known manure contamination, visit the Green Lane Allotment site at http://glallotments.co.uk/ACManure.aspx

If you know of other contamination, please add the information to their site so that we can keep track of the outbreak this year.

i have this problem  :( :(

get my manure from my workplace as we have a horse yard,will be making enquires about the suppliers of hay,straw ect

only my potatoes that are affected

It is the suppliers of the hay or silage that you need to worry about. Aminopyralid is not licensed for use on cereal crops(straw) in the UK.

Thanks realfood. You've just answered a question for me. I want to get a bale of straw for the chickens but was worried about contamination. Looks like I don't have to quiz the farmer now ;). Thanks.