Farmers and Contractors
In the past year, the inadvertent use of manure containing aminopyralid has led to a small number of incidents involving alleged damage to sensitive crops being reported on allotments and in gardens in the UK.
The manure possibly came from farm animals or horses that had eaten pasture or conserved forage from grassland treated with products which contain small amounts of aminopyralid.
What is aminopyralid?
Aminopyralid is the active ingredient in grassland herbicides such as Forefront, Pharaoh, and Banish.
Since coming onto the market in 2006, aminopyralid-based products have proved extremely effective in controlling troublesome and injurious perennial weeds in grassland such as docks, ragwort and thistles.
Problems have occurred where manure from animals that have eaten treated forage was applied to ground which was subsequently planted with sensitive crops, such as potatoes and legumes.
How can I safely and effectively use aminopyralid?
Simply follow all label and safety instructions, as well as sound agricultural practices.
The following instructions and warnings appear on the Forefront label and product information leaflet:
Optimal spraying times
Only one application of Forefront is allowed per year. Therefore consider which weeds are the most important to be controlled. The optimal time of control is the rosette growth stage. This occurs at different times depending upon the target weed.
Spray Chart from Forefront label
Two to three weeks after cutting or topping, the main weeds will recover and be at the rosette stage at roughly the same time. Treating post cutting sometimes produces better results in mixed-weed situations. But bear in mind that at this time of the year weeds will quickly grow past the rosette stage.
Following crops
Do not plant potatoes, sugar beet, peas, beans, or other leguminous crops in the next calendar year following an application of Forefront, Pharaoh or Banish.
Follow good agricultural practice and ensure that grass plant remains have completely decayed before planting susceptible crops.
If an application is followed by dry weather conditions, particularly on sandy soil, consult Dow AgroSciences for specific following-crop advice.
Neighbouring crops/plants
Avoid damage by drift onto susceptible crops, non-target plants, or waterways. Do not apply directly to, or allow spray drift to come into contact with agricultural or horticultural crops, amenity plantings, gardens, ponds, lakes or watercourses.
What should I do if I treated grassland with aminopyralid in 2008?
The current advice from Dow AgroSciences is to only spread muck and slurry from treated grass onto pasture or land intended for growing pure grass mixtures, ie no clover, cereals and maize.
The current advice from Dow AgroSciences is to only spread muck and slurry from treated grass onto pasture or land intended for growing pure grass mixtures, ie no clover, cereals and maize.
If you sell hay, haylage or silage you need to inform buyers about the restrictions for any subsequent manure produced from animals eating treated forage. Similarly, if you sell manure or slurry that could contain aminopyralid, you should tell your customers.
What should I do if I grow any of the sensitive crops?
Arable farmers intending to plant potatoes, peas or beans should check that aminopyralid has not been used on the land in the previous year.
Where manure is to be used as a fertiliser with any of these crops, it is important to establish that it does not come from cattle fed on forage from treated pasture.
Where can I get more information?
Link to the following sites for more information about the use and effects of aminopyralid:
Dow AgroSciences Forefront labels and leaflets:
http://www.dowagro.com/uk/labels/index.htm
Grassland Management, Dow AgroSciences:
http://www.dowagro.com/uk/grass_bites/management/success.htm
Pesticides Safety Directorate:
http://www.pesticides.gov.uk/garden.asp?id=2480
Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs:
