Next time you reach for the RoundUp - STOP!

Glyphosate
Next time you reach for the can of RoundUp to clean up a path or a patch of unwanted grass or weeds, stop for a minute and think of the harm you might be doing to your farm and garden soil, the waterways and rivers, the micro-organisms that support life on this planet, your own health and the health of those who are yet to be born.

Glyphosate is without doubt, a disaster in the making. We are only now beginning to understand some of the dangers of unfettered use of RoundUp in commercial agriculture and in our own home gardens. Even more disturbing is the escalating use of RoundUp in commercial agriculture, particularly in genetically modified crops.

The problem with products like RoundUp is that they appear to be very effective. They do the job we want them to do. They allow us to clean up unsightly weeds and overgrown areas with little effort. This quick fix causes a vast number of highly dangerous, long-term problems.

Glyphosate is the active ingredient in RoundUp. On its own it is very poisonous. Combined with some of the other ingredients contained in RoundUp, glyphosate becomes even more dangerous.

RoundUp kills weeds and grass extremely quickly but it is a short-term solution. When grass is killed, it is quickly replaced by weeds so that weed infestation increases because of the application of RoundUp. The quantity and type of weeds change, and become more and more invasive when RoundUp is used. Some parts of the world, in particular the USA are seeing the growth of "super weeds" which cannot be eradicated because they are so tough and they grow so fast. Weed growth increases because the type of weeds that grow in any area are a response to soil condition: the greater the imbalance of nutrients in the soil and the less organic matter it contains, the greater the weed problem.

Round up causes soil nutrients to be tied up leaving the soil more and more unbalanced. According to Don M. Huber, Eneritus Professor, Purdue University: "It is not uncommon to see the available of copper, cobalt, iron manganese, nickel and zinc deficiencies in soils to intensify in soils where RoundUp is applied. Glyphosate in soil and root exudates also stimulates oxidative soil microbes that reduce nutrient availability by decreasing their solubility for plant uptake, immobilize nutrients such as potassium and deny plant access to soil nutrients through pathogenic activity. Plant pathogens stimulated by glyphosate include ubiquitous bacterial and fungal, crown and stalk rotting fungi, vascular colonising organisms that disrupt nutrient transport and cause wilt and die-back and root-nibblers that impair access or uptake of soil nutrients."

Mineralisation of plant residues that have been killed by glyphosate release accumulated glyphosate into the soil in toxic concentrations that can kill whatever is planted subsequently. Plant death occurs through increased plant susceptibility to common soil-borne fungi such as Fusarium and Phytophthora that are stimulated by glyphosate applications.

Roundup kills weeds but it is not selective: it kills anything it contacts. It is also a potent micro-biocide. It is toxic to earthworms and mycorrhizae. It reduces the number of microbes that convert insoluble soil oxides to plant available forms, nitrogen-fixing organisms and organisms involved in the biological control of soil borne diseases that reduce root uptake of nutrients.

For many years Monsanto, the manufacturer of RoundUp claimed it was a bio-degradable substance but court cases in Europe have demonstrated consclusively that this claim is not true. RoundUp no longer has the word bio-degradable on its label.

Because it is not bio-degradable it:
* Persists and accumulates in soil and plants for many years.
* Accumulates in food and feed products to enter the food chain and it has been demonstrated that it is highly dangerous in terms of human health. Many scientific studies have been done which demonstrate this is a major concern.
* Can damage trees and shrubs planted following its use because it is taken up by these plants through their roots.
* Stimulates soil-born pathogens, thus reducing nutrient available.
* Inhibits nitrogen fixation.
* Increases mycotoxins in stems, straw, grain and fruit.
* Inhibits uptake and translocation of iron, manganese and zinc even when glyphosate is present at very low, non-herbicidal rates.

Professor Huber says: "Introduction of glyphosate, an intense mineral chelator, into the food chain through accumulation in feed, forage and food and by root exudation into ground water poses significant health concerns for animals and humans."

Bev Buckley. For more information visit learn more

Weed Control

Weed Control.

Two organic weed control strategies are:
* the heavy use of mulch reduces weed growth significantly.
* remove weeds before they go to seed.
The key thing is that most of us realize is that herbicides are expensive and cause harm to people, plants,animals, birds, water & soil life. We used to think we had a real weed problem until we visited one of Australia's largest organic farms where we were told that their wages bill for people to weed was over $125,000 per year. They pull out weeds by hand with teams of "weeders". After learning that, our weed problems faded into insignificance.Weeding is a chore. There's absolutely no doubt about that. Weeds are probably the organic gardener's greatest enemy. They use up nutrients, and smother plants. If allowed to go to seed, they proliferate with amazing speed. But what you need to understand about weeds is that when they are a real problem it is a sign that vital nutrients are missing. The purpose of weeds is nutrient recycling. With long roots, they bring up nutrients from deep down in the soil. Pull them up and use them, as nutrient-rich mulch.Particular weeds definitely grow in response to the structure, texture and fertility of the soil. For example, where there is a calcium deficiency there are millions of dandelions and "farmers friends". Many weeds grow best in poor, infertile soil, since the basic cause of most weed problems is wrong soil conditions. So the best organic weed control system is to learn how to build healthy balanced soil and to maintain it. Part of this is developing the soil food web(bacteria,fungi,worms) to improve the soil structure and indirectly help fight weeds by helping crop plants grow better.
Some plants & trees have enough leaves to restrict weed growth. The best organic weed control strategy is to plant vegetables closely together so that they shade the ground. You can do this when you have very high levels of nutrients and organic matter in the soil.Some small-scale commercial farmers use plastic sheeting or old carpeting to control weeds but this is a problem in that they stop sunlight, water and fertilizer from penetrating and without these, the soil dies. Carpets have poisons that leach into the soil.One of our key organic weed control strategies is to use cardboard and newspapers covered in mulch between my rows of vegetables and fruit trees. Both these substances break down over time and add cellulose, a natural wood-based substance, to the soil so that mulching has a dual purpose: it stops weeds and it add organic matter to the soil.The good news is that as the mineral balance and organic matter levels in the soil improve, weeds become less of a problem and easier to pull out. Composting, mulching and worm trenching are the other main organic weed control strategies I use which, at the same time, build organic matter. To summarise the best strategies for organic weed control are:
Remove weeds before they go to seed
Build the soil organic matter
Build soil nutrient level and ensure all the elements are present and in the correct balance
Use cardboard, newspaper and mulch to shut out light
Pull out weeds when they are small and loosen soil around plants to disturb the roots of newly emerging weeds.
Make sure your compost is properly aerated, moistened and hot enough to kill all weed seeds and pathogens.
Don’t throw away weeds: use them as mulch; they contain the missing nutrients you need to improve your organic soil.
Learn to enjoy your weeds!! Weeding can actually be a very meditative and soothing process if you allow yourself to let go the judgement around weeds. In the Healthy Growing programme you will find some fascinating insights into the role of weeds in restoring soil fertility and balance. Weeds actually have a very important role in nature. For more information go to www.growinghealthyorganicfood.com