Manure Alert

Farmyard manure contaminated with weed killer is causing abnormal growth on vegetable crop and rendering them inedible. Gardeners who bought affected manure have contacted the RHS Members Advisory Service asking for help with crops of tomatoes, potatoes and legumes, but ornamentals such as roses and delphiniums may also suffer.

Some manure has been inadvertently contaminated with aminopyralid, a herbicide used on pasture to control weeds. Manure from animals fed on treated pastures contains sufficient chemical residue to cause damage. Dow AgroSciences, which markets the chemical, believes the risk to human health is low but still advises that the crop be destroyed. It also recommends that the soil treated with the manure should be dug several times and not replanted until next year.

Guy Barter, RHS Head of Horticultural Advisory Services, said reports of contaminated manure were increasing; Gardeners should seek assurance that the bedding and forage used in the manure has not been treated with hormone-type weed killers.

See more on www.rhs.org.uk/news/weedkiller-manure.asp

Note:

Abnormality in on the crop can also be caused by weed killer spray drifting if used close too your vegetables. We do not know of any cases associated with the manure in bags we sell at the depot or from any names we have recommended in this newsletter. Please tell us if you know of any cases so we can warn other members.