Once you have established that aminopyralid is the most likely cause of your crop damage, you have three main priorities. You should:
- Notify suppliers and other interested parties
- Limit contamination and take steps to disperse the aminopyralid
- Consider whether legal action is appropriate
Notifying interested parties:
- As your first priority, notify the supplier of the contaminant (this is usually manure). They may well be unaware of any problems; by notifying them you may be able to prevent others from suffering damage.
- Notify DowAgro, in writing if possible. Under the terms of its license, DowAgro has a statutory duty to notify the authorities of any instances of contamination. You can only be included in this if DowAgro are made aware. The more complaints there are, the more likely that this chemical will be permanently removed from the food chain.
- You should notify DEFRA, even if they are unlikely to respond. If you paid for your manure, you should also notify your local Trading Standards department.
- If the contamination is on an allotment, you should notify your allotment association and/or your local council.
- Drop us a line at info@muckinthemuck.com We can add your location to the map and offer any assistance you might need.
Limiting and eliminating aminopyralid contamination:
First and foremost, a gentle reminder that garden hygiene is paramount. Avoid spreading the contamination further at all costs; clean tools after use on contaminated land, avoid walking on beds wherever possible, and dispose of all contaminated material carefully. DO NOT mulch or compost contaminated material and DO NOT place any contaminated material in your ‘green waste’ bin.
Crops that are already growing: Whether or not to consume contaminated crops is a matter of personal choice. Initially both Dow Agro and the Pesticides Safety Directorate stated that affected crops should not be consumed; they now say it is safe to do so. Bear in mind that aminopyralid is not licensed for use on food crops.
Established shrubs, trees and perrenials: Remove as much of the contaminated material from around the plant as you can, and dispose of it safely. Cut back as usual at the appropriate time, and feed well in the spring. Most established plants should survive.
Disposing of organic matter: Do not use affected material for mulch or compost. Do not place the affected material into your ‘green waste’ bin, as most councils use this to produce compost. If possible, dig the affected material into the affected plot - this is the most ecologically sound way of disposal. If this is not possible, you can dispose of the material in your household waste bin, or burn the waste, placing the ashes into the household waste. If your local council does not allow you to dispose of green waste in your regular household waste bin, you should contact them for advice on what to do with the waste. We have heard of councils, who, unaware of the threat that aminopyralid poses, are telling people that it is fine to dispose of affected material in their green waste. If this happens please contact us at info@muckinthemuck.com. We will advise you further and liaise with your council to resolve the situation.
Disposing of unused or ’stacked’ material: The best way to deal with any unused material that you know or suspect to be contaminated is to return it to the supplier, notifying them that you believe the material to contain aminopyralid. If the supplier refuses to accept the contaminated material, or if you are unable or unwilling to return it, you should contact the Environment Agency on 0800 807060 for further advice. There is no coherent policy between government departments concerning the disposal of contaminated material. The following guidance is currently being given by the PSD, Dow, and the RHS. However, you should be aware that this advice contravenes the Environment Agency’s rules on disposal of contaminated waste:
Select a patch of ground that you can afford to leave uncultivated for at least a year. If at all practical this should be the land that is already contaminated. Spread a layer of manure a few inches deep and then rotavate or dig in well. Then follow the guidelines below for speeding up the breakdown of aminopyralid. Remember that stacked material will not break down properly, as there will not be enough microbes or enough air getting to the material. If you do not have space to lay out your manure in this way, contact the Environment Agency as above for further guidance.
Speeding up the breakdown of aminopyralid in your soil: Dig in any affected plant matter, then rotavate or dig over well. This will speed up microbial activity, which will break down the organic matter more quickly. Once all organic matter has broken down the aminopyralid will be released, and will then break down quickly. It is best to do this during the summer, if possible, while the soil is still warm. If you think the soil is cooling down, cover it with plastic sheeting for a few sunny days and this should warm it back up. If the soil gets too dry, dampen it (but try not to waterlog it). Rotavate or dig over the affected area once per month. Do not sow anything in the beds. Remove any weeds as soon as you see them, and dispose of them in your household waste. It will take at least six months for the material to break down completely, but may take longer. Unfortunately there is no way of being sure that all of the aminopyralid has broken down (see testing for aminopyralid).
Taking legal action
Whether or not you decide to persue legal action is a matter of personal choice. Legal responsibility is held by the supplier of the contaminated manure, not by DowAgro at present. Some people feel that it is unfair to take action against an unwitting supplier; we say this is unfortunate but should not affect your decision. Very few people who are negligent are intentionally so. If you do decide that you would like to take legal action, we can give you some pointers here.