More fun with roundup (glyphosate)

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Was talking to a couple of guys with acreage today, and apparently it's becoming common to spray grazing areas (weeds, or grass that you want to grow a different crop next year) with a sub lethal dose, wait a few days, then let the animals (ones that you plan to sell for meat) in to graze on the now "sweet" greenery.

So it went from a clear the land, wipe everything out before sowing, and it will be all gone by harvest.

to

Roundup ready plants that you would spray when they had sprouted, killing what's around them, and it will all be gone by harvest.

to

"hardening off" wheat crops immediately before harvest to allow better timing/planning.

to

spray grazing/spray topping, right at the pointy end of the food chain.

What's next ?
 
I've been told they are now spraying roundup before cutting silage, and then ploughing and sowing maize. By the time the cattle are fed the silage....it will be gone.
 
New way to "season" beef while it's still alive?
eek.gif
 
That stuff is remarkably dangerous. Monsanto has done a great job of keeping all of us blind about it. If you read Stephanie Seneff's (MIT) research, it's very clear we should not be using it. We used to use it a lot but stopped using it since I read bout her search. She also has a few YouTube videos if interested.
 
You wanna weed a field? Put a herd of goats on it. Roundup is used for poison ivy control. Goats will turn it into fertilizer. They have been used in California with much success Just google :using goats to clear land
 
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One of the studies suggested it was not the glysophate that was dangerous, rather the additive used to make it stick to leaves. The additive makes it spread out, not bead up by reducing the surface tension.

I don't think using Roundup to kill weeds in driveway is an issue, rathe the issue is spraying it on fields used for food crops and then using Roundup resistant seeds from Monsanto.
 
My mother has me to spray roundup along her chain link fence every year..i always try to be frugal with her money as she is on a fixed income.

The last 2 years i have found that ACE hardware version which goes on sale at about half the price is just as good as Roundup.
 
Originally Posted By: Shannow
Was talking to a couple of guys with acreage today, and apparently it's becoming common to spray grazing areas (weeds, or grass that you want to grow a different crop next year) with a sub lethal dose, wait a few days, then let the animals (ones that you plan to sell for meat) in to graze on the now "sweet" greenery.

So it went from a clear the land, wipe everything out before sowing, and it will be all gone by harvest.

to

Roundup ready plants that you would spray when they had sprouted, killing what's around them, and it will all be gone by harvest.

to

"hardening off" wheat crops immediately before harvest to allow better timing/planning.

to

spray grazing/spray topping, right at the pointy end of the food chain.

What's next ?

Glyphosate research that I read years ago and found again before this post is that the sun breaks down glyphosate relatively quick (half life of 4 days) and it takes about two weeks to see full results that the weeds died. And the sun isn't even the best at degrading the glyphosate, microbes are. In herbicides two there are residual (prevents weeds from growing) and non-residual. Glyphosate is definitely non-residual. I know there is residual amounts on the food because you can test for it, but how much is needed for long term detrimental health is the key question.

Spraying crops a few weeks before harvest is a common but risky practice (at least where I am from) - the main reason they do that is because the farmer hasn't done a good job on controlling his weeds and doesn't want to suffer price wise from discounts due to weed seeds (which lowers bushel weight and increases contaminants), so they spray right before harvest to keeps costs down raising the crop and not having the weeds present and end up in the combine. The drawback to this and why its risky is that it also kills the non-Roundup Ready crops (like wheat) and if a storm comes through before harvest the wind will knock over the wheat and you will have a hard time getting that into the combine, if at all. Also like you mentioned when you kill off the wheat it dries down faster than if the plant died on its own and let the grains air dry.

Originally Posted By: andyd
You wanna weed a field? Put a herd of goats on it. Roundup is used for poison ivy control. Goats will turn it into fertilizer. They have been used in California with much success Just google :using goats to clear land


Glyphosate is cheaper. Renting animals, owning them, transporting them, feeding them, treating them for diseases, etc. are all more expensive and not as effective. When you raise commodity items you can only sell it for what the market price is which is out of your control, so the only control you do have is input costs. Most row crop farmers are farming thousands of acres across different fields and fencing in animals (even if temporary) is cost and time prohibitive.

Originally Posted By: Donald
One of the studies suggested it was not the glysophate that was dangerous, rather the additive used to make it stick to leaves. The additive makes it spread out, not bead up by reducing the surface tension.

I don't think using Roundup to kill weeds in driveway is an issue, rathe the issue is spraying it on fields used for food crops and then using Roundup resistant seeds from Monsanto.


Dawn dish soap has surfactants to reduce surface tension. That is an old trick to make your glyphosate work better is to add a little soap to it so it coats everything better. If you notice that some waxy plants don't die from spraying them, its because the herbicide can't penetrate through the wax. A degreaser such as dish soap breaks down that wax allowing the herbicide to soak in and kill the plant.

Originally Posted By: 4WD
We are required to have training and a license to even buy larger jugs ...

What most people don't realize is that glyphosate has been around since the mid 70's and was used in row crop production long before Roundup Ready corn appeared in the mid-90s. Another thing that most people don't realize is that there are far more dangerous chemicals used to treat weeds that require federal licenses to purchase, store, and use. You also must go through continuing educational classes to maintain that license.

That is why glyphosate has become the herbicide of choice - less toxic, more effective, cheaper, and still no solid evidence that residual contamination on crops has caused any short or long term effects.
 
Glyophosphate makes no till methods tenable. Some of the applications may be questionable, such as the resistamct crops that get sprayed.
I like the ability to use it to kill cover crops so that a cash crop can be planted into it with no weed competition such as a heavy vetch cover crop, kill it, leave it lay and plant tomatoe into it. This layer of dead vetch keeps weeds at bay, adds nutrients and retains moisture in the soil.
This chemical is a tool in soil conservation that has unfortunately in questionable ways.
 
Between NY and Ca, all those folks spraying poison on that much land, no wonder honeybees are dying and we are sick and on and on.....way to much spraying imho...millions of gallons going into our food supply..
 
Originally Posted By: CourierDriver
Between NY and Ca, all those folks spraying poison on that much land, no wonder honeybees are dying and we are sick and on and on.....way to much spraying imho...millions of gallons going into our food supply..


If allowed to breakdown (appropritate time between spraying and harvest) it is rendered harmless as what is not broken down by microbes is biologically unavailable.
I am more concerned with 2-4-d than glyophosphate. Or the use of very broad spectrum insecticides that do persist and effect pollinators. Pesticide deployment of this type requires good tim8 g and selection to avoid impacting pollinators. Other practices such as large monocrops with inadequate crop rotation increase the need for pesticide use.

http://forestinfo.ca/faqs/how-persistent-is-glyphosate-in-plants-soils-water-and-sediments/
 
Originally Posted By: rshaw125
Only use it on poison ivy once in the Spring.


I spray it on everything that I can't reach with one of my ZTR mowers.
 
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