Kitchen Garden Forum

Mm - it's just strange that when explaining why AP is important they cite that there are weeds such as ragwort that are injurous to lifestock which it will kill and then elsewhere say that the best method of control is to dig the plants out. It seems to negate one of the reasons given for the reinstating of the licence.

Two MPs have tabled Early Day Motions re the licensing of AP.

Tom Watson http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=39228&SESSION=899 and Paul Burstow

http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=39225&SESSION=899

You can help by urging your MP to support one or both motions.

Immediately written to our MP to ask him to ask him to support these motions. Maybe there is still a chance that the licence can be stopped.

Hi Glallotments,
You are so right with regards to Ragwort. If treated with AP it would leave it in it's most dangerous state. Stock will not eat Ragwort when it is standing and it is only when it is cut and dried or cut and becomes Haylage or Silage that it really becomes dangerous especially to Horses.
If Horses eat Ragwort they die a slow and very painful death.
What really surprises me is that the consensus on this forum was to leave the Ragwort for the Cardinal Moths and bugger the Horses! Which is never right in a million years!
What really annoys me is that it is the gardeners themselves who have not voted to keep it banned who are at fault. Their votes were needed but they have let people like Glallotments down. Glallotments has worked tirelessly on our behalf for over a year now and I feel that she deserved our support for after all she was working on our behalf.
I am particularly annoyed with John Walker who actually said in KG Magazine (Sept 2009) that only a few people were affected by AP and that the incident was over-hyped! What a pillock! There is an old Airforce saying " may his earholes turn to a-s-holes and s--t upon his shoulders!"
Which seems very appropriate in this case!
JB.

Friday is the last day to sign the petition which may seem pointless now but it does support the EDMs. 2616 signatures so far - with a push can we make it much higher.

Incidentally I'm not into party politics but I just found it strange that no Conservative MPs have supported either EDM.

Official response

http://www.number10.gov.uk/Page21280

Yes very short wasn't it?

I've had a reply from 10 Downing St. to the petition it looks as though they will still keep useing aminopyralid but with a warning.
Bren

Call me cynical, but I seriously doubt whether the new "warning" will be any more effective than the original one

I'll have to join you in that Alan - there was a warning before!

Leaving the fox in charge of the chickens?

I liked the way the response email went into my spam folder, it could have gone straight to trash.

I notice that it seems the consultant that manned the Manure Matters email account must have had his services dispensed with. No more manurematters email address.

Obviously job done!

Just what do Dow think they're up to?

In their latest update on aminopyralid they clearly state:
It is valued by farmers seeking to control pernicious and poisonous weeds such as ragwort, thistles and docks in pasture.

Yet elsewhere they equally clearly state:
No Dow AgroSciences product is recommended for control of ragwort. The best method of control is to dig them up. 2,4-D can be used as an overall spray.

Are they lying or just wilfully or even carelessly inconsistent.

Given the above contradiction, is any assurance about "stewardship" (a weasel concept if ever there was one) worth anything?

I noticed that a whole ago too - I think it was Johnboy who thought they meant no product was specifically for ragwort.