One of the advantages of growing your own vegetables is that you can be sure that you haven’t added any unwanted pesticides – or can you? If you use manure it may be contaminated with herbicide. Sign the petition to ban aminopyralid!

In June 2008, around the country gardeners and allotment holders were dismayed to see potato and tomato plants with curling, spoonlike leaves – classic signs of herbicide damage. The cause was aminopyralid, a herbicide used on grassland: manure from livestock fed on treated land had been distributed and used on numerous gardens and allotments, making many of them unusable for at least a growing season.

The Pesticides Safety Directorate advised that aminopyralid breaks down quickly once in soil – affected plots should be largely free of aminopyralid after 6 months. The manufacturers, Dow, withdrew the pesticide pending further research.

However, over a year later, many plots are still affected, and contaminated manure is still in circulation, to the frustration of the increasing number of people trying to ‘grow their own’ – and of manure suppliers who are unable to sell, as it is very difficult to guarantee a completely uncontaminated product.

Dow is now applying for aminopyralid to be reinstated. Gardeners from Green Lane Allotments, badly hit by aminopyralid last year, are determined to stop it and are calling on the government to block its reinstatement.

Support gardeners - sign the petition!

Gardeners thinking of buying manure are advised to check its provenance thoroughly. Further information and advice is available from Green Lane Allotments