Changes to EFA rules

[Brisel]

Could you use reglone

Not on the current Reglone label but I'd have to check to confirm that. Diquat is under threat anyway, along with glyphosate.

 

[Steevo]

Not on the current Reglone label but I'd have to check to confirm that. Diquat is under threat anyway, along with glyphosate.

What isn't under threat...?!

Oh, sorry....it's obvious! Raptors, badgers, environmentalists, wildlife charities, blackgrass etc.

Should farmers be a protected species perhaps?!

 

[DrWazzock]

Reglone tends to burn foliage off but does not kill the roots so usually the weed grows back again in a couple of weeks. The beauty of round up when it came out was that it would kill roots of couch grass etc and so it revolutionised couch control here.

 

[Steevo]

Reglone tends to burn foliage off but does not kill the roots so usually the weed grows back again in a couple of weeks. The beauty of round up when it came out was that it would kill roots of couch grass etc and so it revolutionised couch control here.

I think that's one weed most people have forgotten about....but if glyphosate got banned it would be back with a vengance before long!

I doubt other weeds would be as much of a problem. There may well be 2 or 3 products waiting in the wings that haven't been viable yet given glyphosate is the super cheap go-to product, but you can bet your life they wouldn't be cheap!

 

[Brisel]

would the following stop you growing peas or beans on your farm for EFA.
Legumes – No pesticide application from sowing to harvest

Fallow – No round-up applications to fallow land in the 6 month period 1st Jan – 30thJune.

Yes for beans but EFA distorted the market in the first place. I can't grow beans without pesticides unless it's on clean land and with farm saved seed. Actually, it's not impossible and the organic farmers manage to do it so I'll sit on the fence for this.

I have plenty of ex ELS field margins, hedges and field corners that qualify for EFA so no it wouldn't affect me but a total ban on any kind of pernicious weed control in that time period on arable fallow would stop me using that option. To be honest I'd find other ways of meeting EFA assuming there's actually anything worth claiming by then anyway.

 

[DrWazzock]

I think that's one weed most people have forgotten about....but if glyphosate got banned it would be back with a vengance before long!

I doubt other weeds would be as much of a problem. There may well be 2 or 3 products waiting in the wings that haven't been viable yet given glyphosate is the super cheap go-to product, but you can bet your life they wouldn't be cheap!

I am just old enough to member twitch (couch grass) fires. The field would be dragged and twitch roots brought to the surface. Then they would be rolled into heaps with chain harrows and burned. Never got rid of it though. Round up was a huge breakthrough in control.

 

[rob1]

So you might not be allowed to use a chemical that is hamless to kill a weed that is in danger of getting out of control yet we can plough or mow it that would kill many ground nesting birds etc, who are the fools that think these rules up

 

[Right-arm fast]

The one on fallow would be an issue, even if they just limited it to one roundup application I would live with that. Otherwise the BG would run riot

Plus the heavier land needs a growing crop other wise it will be wet and sad and imho wants sowing at the earliest opportunity not July, the mind boggles that a lot of land is subject to black grass at varying different levels and they would prevent control of it in this way as it will be headed by the time we can spray it with glyphosate which might be banned anyway.

 

[MickMoor]

I think that's one weed most people have forgotten about....but if glyphosate got banned it would be back with a vengance before long!

I doubt other weeds would be as much of a problem. There may well be 2 or 3 products waiting in the wings that haven't been viable yet given glyphosate is the super cheap go-to product, but you can bet your life they wouldn't be cheap!

I have always argued that that could be one reason Monsanto are so keen on GM crops tolerant of Roundup