A committee formed to spread the word about herbicides that victimize desirable farm crops as well as the weeds they’re designed to kill learned about herbicide drift Wednesday.
Rod Cook, La Plata County weed manager, told the Herbicide Carryover Working Group that on windy days, herbicide spray can drift, possibly reaching vulnerable vegetables such as peppers, spinach, potatoes and tomatoes.
The backyard garden favorites are broadleaf plants, the same as the invasive Canada thistle and members of the knapweed family that are the intended targets.
The killers are three classifications of herbicides, probably the best known of which was registered in the United States in 2005 by Dow Chemical Corp. under the name Milestone.
Horses and cattle feed on grass or hay that has been sprayed with Milestone, which doesn’t decompose. When livestock manure is combined with hay to make compost for gardening or as a soil fortifier, the herbicide is part of the mix.
The Herbicide Carryover Workng Group was formed in mid-April after backyard gardeners, commercial vegetable producers and agriculture officials compared notes and finally pinned down the reason the growth of their broadleaf plants was interrupted or never began.
Dow Chemical is out front in warning direct users or end users of the effects of its herbicide. Few users, however, read the labels that spell out the problems.
Education is the goal of the working group, said Gwen Lachelt, a La Plata County commissioner and chairwoman of the working group.
Among those who should know about the effect of Milestone, Lachelt said are backyard gardeners, stable owners, gas and oil companies that spray well pads, hay producers, agricultural sprayers, businesses that sell herbicides and herbicide applicators.
The working group is scheduled to next meet in June when a Dow Chemical representative will be present, Lachelt said.
The group would like the Dow representative to clarify how much time is required to assure that hay treated with Milestone can safely leave the farm when it was grown, she said.
Lachelt is the contact for the working group. She can be reached at 382-6215 or gwen.lachelt@co.laplata.co.us.
daler@durangoherald.com
