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Is commercially made compost tested for chemical residue?
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<blockquote data-quote="Bogweevil" data-source="post: 7030325" data-attributes="member: 48190"><p>This is down to clopyralid or amininopyralid residues in manure (amininopyralid) or green waste used in growing media (clopyralid from composted lawn mowings). The good news is that these materials breakdown in the soil in a few weeks and plants recover, the bad news is they persist in compost and manure for some time, at least 9 months untl the manure/compost is incorporated into the soil.</p><p></p><p>It is very rare to find issues with other crop protection chemicals and amateurs nowadays.</p><p></p><p>If users follow the label instructions on how to use these every powerful herbicides there would be no problem. But some, probably only a few, don't, either because they are inept (householders and landscapers) or unprofessional (farmers, agronomists and landscapers). Aminopyralid manure, bedding or forage should not leave the farm and lawns treated with clopyralid should be mown in a way that does not result in clippings being collected or if they are the clippings are not composted.</p><p></p><p>I understand that composters do test each batch of composted green waste, but each batch is 5000 tonnes, and growing media manufacturers test every 500 pallets of potting compost. As contamination is sporadic it is very hard to detect in big batches.</p><p></p><p>The test is thus: </p><p></p><p>STEP 1: Fill two clean pots with suspect growing media (fresh, not used) and label.</p><p></p><p>STEP 2: Fill another two clean pots with another brand of growing media or John Innes potting compost as a control (i.e. a standard to compare to) and label.</p><p></p><p>STEP 3: Into each pot sow four broad bean seeds or insert four tomato cuttings (use sideshoots from healthy tomato plants). Water well with clean water.</p><p></p><p>STEP 4: Place the pots in a greenhouse or warm windowsill in winter, or for beans outdoors in summer. Keep the compost damp but ensure the drainage water from pots containing the suspect growing media cannot contaminate the control pots.</p><p></p><p>If after three weeks the seeds fail to emerge, the seedlings or cuttings are distorted, show less growth than in the controls or exhibit fern-like growth in the suspect growing media, while control plants are normal, there are strong grounds to believe weedkiller residues are present.</p><p></p><p>I have advised Defra/CRD/WRAP/HSE/Corteva about this but they seem unable to enforce better 'stewardship'.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Bogweevil, post: 7030325, member: 48190"] This is down to clopyralid or amininopyralid residues in manure (amininopyralid) or green waste used in growing media (clopyralid from composted lawn mowings). The good news is that these materials breakdown in the soil in a few weeks and plants recover, the bad news is they persist in compost and manure for some time, at least 9 months untl the manure/compost is incorporated into the soil. It is very rare to find issues with other crop protection chemicals and amateurs nowadays. If users follow the label instructions on how to use these every powerful herbicides there would be no problem. But some, probably only a few, don't, either because they are inept (householders and landscapers) or unprofessional (farmers, agronomists and landscapers). Aminopyralid manure, bedding or forage should not leave the farm and lawns treated with clopyralid should be mown in a way that does not result in clippings being collected or if they are the clippings are not composted. I understand that composters do test each batch of composted green waste, but each batch is 5000 tonnes, and growing media manufacturers test every 500 pallets of potting compost. As contamination is sporadic it is very hard to detect in big batches. The test is thus: STEP 1: Fill two clean pots with suspect growing media (fresh, not used) and label. STEP 2: Fill another two clean pots with another brand of growing media or John Innes potting compost as a control (i.e. a standard to compare to) and label. STEP 3: Into each pot sow four broad bean seeds or insert four tomato cuttings (use sideshoots from healthy tomato plants). Water well with clean water. STEP 4: Place the pots in a greenhouse or warm windowsill in winter, or for beans outdoors in summer. Keep the compost damp but ensure the drainage water from pots containing the suspect growing media cannot contaminate the control pots. If after three weeks the seeds fail to emerge, the seedlings or cuttings are distorted, show less growth than in the controls or exhibit fern-like growth in the suspect growing media, while control plants are normal, there are strong grounds to believe weedkiller residues are present. I have advised Defra/CRD/WRAP/HSE/Corteva about this but they seem unable to enforce better 'stewardship'. [/QUOTE]
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Is commercially made compost tested for chemical residue?
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