Herbicide damage and what to do?

[digitS']

I don't know, GWR.

My working on farms was way back before roundup. At one time, it was sprayed in swales where grain plants would still be green while other areas was ready to be harvested. That way, the combine could be used across the entire acreage at the same time.

@seedcorn said recently that this is no longer allowed, if I understood correctly. It still surprises me that the ag industry didn't expect consumer pushback over using an herbicide a short time before harvest.

Steve

 

[Gardening with Rabbits]

I don't know, GWR.

My working on farms was way back before roundup. At one time, it was sprayed in swales where grain plants would still be green while other areas was ready to be harvested. That way, the combine could be used across the entire acreage at the same time.

@seedcorn said recently that this is no longer allowed, if I understood correctly. It still surprises me that the ag industry didn't expect consumer pushback over using an herbicide a short time before harvest.

Steve

I think seedcorn is right. Most of the Google stories are from 2009 to 2012.

 

[ninnymary]

seedcorn does know his stuff when it comes to herbicides and pesticides. I would lean toward what he says.

Mart

 

[seedcorn]

I don't know, GWR.

My working on farms was way back before roundup. At one time, it was sprayed in swales where grain plants would still be green while other areas was ready to be harvested. That way, the combine could be used across the entire acreage at the same time.

@seedcorn said recently that this is no longer allowed, if I understood correctly. It still surprises me that the ag industry didn't expect consumer pushback over using an herbicide a short time before harvest.

Steve

I was corrected on this as out west, it may be used. Here in Midwest, wheat dies from June/July heat. Dang southerner (@Ridgerunner) corrected me......grumble, grumble

 

[w_r_ranch]

If it was the straw that did it, would it most likely be Roundup that was sprayed?

If RoundUp was sprayed, there wouldn't be any straw. I am a state certified applicator & I own a ranch, so I spray a lot of RoundUp (as well as other herbicides). This whole herbicide thing is an overblown scare tactic.

BTW, I know many here are 'organic' & only buy organic food. I doubt that any of them have read the government standards on exactly what is allowed to be sprayed on that 'organic' food. Them $4/lb apples are treated the same as the $1/lb apples at a regular grocery store... and that is a fact.

 

[seedcorn]

They spray it once most of the field is dead to make the rest die so that harvest moisture is the same. It's only done-if at all-in the wheat belt. I'm not sure if they bale or not since prairie soils need all the help they can get.

I'll leave the organic people to their own thoughts. They seem to spend a great deal of time investigating commercial AG but never spend a second investigating themselves. Follow the $$$$$.

 

[PhilaGardener]

Yes, it apparently is a very widespread practice to spray Roundup on crops like grains and potatoes before harvest as a "dessicant." As stated before, the plants dry out and that reduces the moisture level in the crop prior to harvest. This also leads to chemical residue levels in these foods that are concerning to me. I recently corresponded with one of the better companies out there (King Arthur Flours) who confirmed that they too use grain that is treated this "approved" way (although not for their organic products).

The issue of herbicide contamination of hay typically is due to a different chemical family, such as the herbicide picloram. These broad leaf plant herbicides (so they don't kill the grasses being hayed) are extremely persistent. They contaminate hay and straw products, and when animals are fed them, they pass through to the manure. Use of either the hay, the manure, or composted amendments incorporating the manure, transfers the chemical to gardens. There are many lawsuits out there based on the persistent damage this has caused. There is no regulation on the marking of treated material, and even a small amount of treated material can contaminate a process stream. At this point, many folks including myself have stopped using any hay or manure in their gardens as that is the only way to be sure, but yes you can test materials by planting tomatoes, beans or peas in them before using them in your garden to determine if they are safe.

Here is a bulletin from NC State that has a nice summary of the picloram problem: https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/herbicide-carryover

 

[SprigOfTheLivingDead]

That's a great read. Thanks @PhilaGardener