Roundup did work in previous years – but more baby weeds just sprouted up inbetween the dead ones – thus a reapplication — then anonther one – and I finally just gave up.
Maybe a pre-emergent in the spring would work – like corn gluten – but even that requires perfect timing.
If you end up using an herbicide, consider using one of the ‘extended control’ formulas, Adding a surfactant, ( AKA-spreader/sticker) can make many herbicide and pesticide chemicals more effective, but read the instructions first.
No. Roundup is banned in Europe for its environmental toxicity. An MIT researcher, Stephanie Seneff, believes it’s responsible for the surge in autism diagnoses in children.
RoundUp kills growing plants but does nothing for seeds. For that you need an “extended effect” herbicide. Call your Extension Agent or Co-Op for suggestions.
G.
Agronomist checking in! I have been away at continuing ed classes this week, so I got behind on this one!
What a lot of people don’t think about, is WHY glyphosate (aka RoundUp) was developed in the first place: to be a safe AND cost effective herbicide. Yes, it is synthetic, as opposed to “organically” sourced previous herbicides. But we NEEDED an alternative to those organically sourced products we already had access to, BECAUSE they were unsafe for unlicensed users or in an accident situation. Glyphosate fit that need. It is one of the safest herbicides, with almost no side effects to human, fish, or mammals if they come in contact with it.
At our continuing ed classes this week, we had a very long discussion about how we, as agronomists and farmers, have not done a very good job educating those who have left the farm for the towns and cities, and no longer understand the scale and importance of the job we do. We have always just gone about our business, and tried to stay afloat in a net zero business. As a result, we now have many people (consumers) who are making decisions based on emotion, rather than the science that we implement. So, some of this fear of glyphosate, and other pesticides, is our own fault. However, we are going to be ramping up our communications departments, and try to get our story and our science out to those that have not had the opportunity to study and see the same things we have.
This is a world that I live and breathe and study. Do not be afraid of RoundUp. Handled properly after reading the label, this is a very safe, and effective product for killing weeds (it will not provide long term control - it was designed to break down quickly, so it does not contaminate soils or run off into water sources).
As far as the autism comment, I would like to add this (he says it better than I would):
By: Andrew Kniss, Associate Professor of Weed Ecology & Management, Department of Plant Sciences at the University of Wyoming on Monday, 8/19/2013 1:09 pm
There is simply no reason to believe that there is any link between increased use of glyphosate and increased prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Certainly, glyphosate use has increased due to widespread use of glyphosate-resistant crops. And there also appears to be an increase in the prevalence in ASD over the same time period. But just because two things happen at the same time, does not mean there is a causal relationship (or any relationship, for that matter). For example, between 1997 and 2007, deaths from cardiovascular disease declined 28 percent; but there is no reason to believe increased use of glyphosate was responsible for that change, either. There is no credible hypothesis for how glyphosate exposure might cause ASD. Emily Willingham, a research scientist who often writes about autism, points out that the balance of evidence indicates that “diagnostic substitution and enhanced awareness and recognition are the main drivers” of the increase in ASD prevalence. She also says there is “little published evidence” to support the idea that pesticide exposure is associated with ASD diagnoses.
OUTSTANDING!!!
G.
goldenrow, your reply does address the possible negative heath aspects of glyphosate and it appears that with the many studies, there is no solid connection between glyphosate and cancer or other health conditions. Even the EU, who is, IMO, fussier than the US in this regard, appears to have renewed its license.
However, there appears to be, IMO again, more solid research showing that plants that are glyphosate targets are becoming resistant to it. While plant resistance is not at the level of human or animal health concerns, to me, it is concerning if the resistance continues to “spread”.
Seneff?? You mean the electrical engineer at MIT? The one with ZERO training in agronomy, medicine,or even epidemiology? The one who wrote a paper claiming that glyphosate is to blame for anorexia, heart disease, alzheimers, obesity, depression, GI problems, diabetes, autism, infertility, aggression, and a whole host of other ailments? She also claims alzheimers is caused by vaccines, flu shots, sugar, and sunscreen.
Here’s an article that suggests that it’s the INERT ingredients in Roundup are the real problem.
Yup, and to my post on Off Topic ( https://www.chronofhorse.com/forum/forum/off-topic/off-topic-aa/9662479-quack-science) it’s a perfect good example of the lack of peer review. The article you link is not research, it’s an activist website who refers to some other researcher to prove her point. So, what the heck, I followed the link to the “french researcher” she based her article on, and sure enough, it’s the usual psuedo science, full of conspiracy theories kind of crap. It’s not a peer reviewed journal. And the french researcher is basically rehashing a prior study he did that was so flawed that it had to be retracted-- which he claims was because the rest of the scientists are all in the pocket of (or afraid of) Monsanto, who installs sympathizers on the editorial boards of the scientific journals.
Seriously, read the research yourself. You don’t have to be a scientist to get the gist of what they’re saying, and to pick up on signals that the study author is defending a subjective conclusion (which is a big red flag).
PS Salt is a chemical. Vinegar is a chemical. They just feel safe because they’re familiar. It’s a totally artificial comfort, and by extension, the fear of the less-familiar is equally baseless. Sure, salt seems so “natural”, and yet increasing the salinity of the soil and groundwater has long-lasting, damaging effects on all of the microbes and creatures that live in or on that soil. You’re poisoning everything, vs just targeting the weeds you don’t want.
The hate is for the manipulative manufacturer of Roundup. I use glyphosate that is not made by Monsanto.
Wow. Settle down. We’re just having a discussion here. You sound so hostile and accusatory. Not necessary.
Sorry, it wasn’t typed in that spirit, but I can see my tone did not come across well. I apologize that I made you feel attacked.
I believe Monsanto developed glyphosate. If the patent is up (and I am not inspired enough to want to figure that out), anyone can make it
Can you provide a link to the actual documentation confirming that Roundup/glyphosate is actually currently banned in Europe?
I found this – for informational purposes only:
http://www.ecowatch.com/eu-bans-glyphosate-co-formulant-monsanto-1917259116.html
Interesting as all my searched seemed to indicate that EU was considering it but had’t arrived at a determination yet.
In my eyes, I think the glyphosate health risk is of less concern than the fact that we now have "Roundup Ready’ broadleaf weeds that didn’t used to be and the number of those weeds are increasing over time.
Real concern, this.
But it’s a real concern in antibiotic resistant bacteria, resistant parasites in horses, resistant weeds in fields, etc. The cause it two fold: some folks overuse a product (mostly using when not necessary) or underuse (don’t follow label directions and don’t provide a full dose). So a real fix would be for people to use when indicated, don’t use when not indicated, and use IAW label directions.
RoundUp is not DDT. Neither is 2,4,D or a number of other very useful herbicides. They were invented for lots of reasons and those reasons still exist.
G.
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