Solutions, Trials, & Ideas for Ecological Restorations :
* * Each Site Location & Circumstance will be Unique
and may Require Different Solutions for healing of the soil & waters.
Focus One: Herbicidal Contamination- Aminopyralid (June-March 2011)
Our solution oriented discussion will organize helpful information & links, and encourage us to share experiences & solutions, so that plans & decisions can be made to protect & heal the health of our lands, waters, & our community.
SOLUTION OPTIONS: to heal our soil & water from aminopyralid toxicity: (each locations needs are different!)
* * Create a healthy population of soil microrganisms to break the toxins down.
* * Rotating edible crops off of effected area and Using Cover Crops &
bioremediation to pull out the toxins, then locating condensed toxins
to another locations (firepit or toxic dump).
* * Using mushroom (mycelium) trials for bioremediation & mycorestoration
to break down the toxins on site into less harmful chemical compounds.
* * Applying healthy Microbial Compost Teas & Biodynamic Preperations &
& BioChar .
* * Removing effected garden soil and relocating to another site.
(unknown if this would later result in leaching into water table).
* * Waiting & Observing effected area to learn what nature's first steps of healing will be, and creating a base line area to compare other trials to.
PREVENTIONS:
** Eliminating bringing onto site any future contaminated soils, compost, manures, straw/hay, etc., including unknown sources of organic matter that may have been treated with chemicals.
* * Pre-Test your OM sources:
* Do a bioassay on soil before growing crops.
* Make an infusion of tea from potential OM (organic matter)
& do a trial before accepting any OM onto your land.
quote: “... if anyone wants to do their own tests, this is the way I made my infusion: "Place two large hand fulls of hay to be tested into a large glass bowl or jar. (or other material to be tested). Boil some water and pour over the hay. Stir it and get it under the water. Let it infuse for 8 or so hours. Strain. Use this to water your test seeds/starts. I kept mine in a jar in the fridge other wise it will ferment. Maybe that isn't a problem, I'm just trying to keep the variables to a minimum.
Make sure to use soil that isn't suspect for herbicide. Keep everything else the same, same seeds, same size pots, same location etc...Peas grow fast.” endquote - Thanks to Angela M for sharing above directions!:
*** This discussion is currently under 'construction' and more will be added later - please share your results & resources.***
I encourage us all to share both our successes & the test trials we have planned. I've listed some of the current solutions, and compiled many of the links & info that have already been shared since the June posting of Farmer Walter's blog alerting us to this challenge.
( http://transitionwhatcom.ning.com/profiles/blogs/a-new-problem-with...
and
"Peak Phosphorus and the Aminopyralid Problem" – Sept 2010
http://transitionwhatcom.ning.com/profiles/blogs/peak-phosphorus-and-the
* I will post more info to the text of this discussion as time allow *
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
'Resource Books/Links: Ecological Restoration (Mycoremediation & Fungal Bioremediation)” http://transitionwhatcom.ning.com/group/organic/forum/topics/resource-bookslinks-ecological
BACKGROUND & RESOURCE INFO:
In 2010 Whatcom County & Bellingham's growers of vegetables (ie. non grass family plants that herbicides are targeted to harm), have experienced unexpected damage from the herbicide Aminopyralid that was spread through dairy manure-compost applied to soils & greenhouses.
. (Location: temperate climate of Cascadia bioregion- 48-49 degree N. latitude).
Over the past few years, other regions & countries have also experienced this challenge with the same chemical – Amnopyralid and with some earlier herbicides.
The chemical Aminpyalid, has been manufactored by Dow AgroScience and also goes by many other names & slightly different chemical combinations ( Banish, Forefront, Halcyon, Pharaoh, Pro-Banish, Runway, Synero, Upfront, and more).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aminopyralid
Although there are many good people researching this topic, the solutions are not applicable to all sites or situations.
Many of us understand that our American funded University Agricultural Extension Service (with a history of being funded by chemical corporations), has provided some information on this challenge, and we look forward to learning more from their best scientist....
And we understand this might take a longer time than what many of us are able to wait for while growing our food and stabilizing our regions food security.
Links: _ _ _ _ _ _
This Earth Garden discussion can organize & collect the ideas & resources we have to share (including those from our earlier TW discussions.)
The first & most local active discussion is now at Farmer Walter's Blog, which also contains more reference links.
http://transitionwhatcom.ning.com/profiles/blogs/a-new-problem-with-commercial
NY Dept Environmental Conservation (Division of Solid & Hazardous Materials) in 2007 “could not ensure that the labeled use of aminopyralid would not negatively impact groundwater resources”
http://pmep.cce.cornell.edu/profiles/herb-growthreg/24-d-butylate/a...
Website from Dow who manufactors aminopyralid herbicide:
http://www.manurematters.com/na/en/gardening.htm
http://www.manurematters.com/na/en/manure_sourcing.htm
http://www.manurematters.com/na/en/equine_health.htm
More links to follow as time allows!
October 2010 Resource Addition:
“Herbicides in Compost” - WSDA fact sheet regarding issue of commercial & dairy compost containing damaging effects from herbicide residues as recently been released:
http://agr.wa.gov/pestfert/pesticides/docs/317-WhatcomCountyHerbici...
* * * * * * * *
Phytoremediation has been suggested in the past as a solution. Weed scientist Tim does not think this herbicide is broken down by sunlight, as the research on similiar herbicide shows it is not broken down by sunlight. Scientist Colleen has shared that the main way it is broken down is by the microrganisms in the soil.
RESEARCH & PROJECT INFO:
Resources: Mycoremediation & Fungal Bioremediation
http://transitionwhatcom.ning.com/group/whatcommycologicalresponset...
"Biochar and sequestration of toxics” – By Richard Haard - http://transitionwhatcom.ning.com/profiles/blogs/biochar-and-sequestration-of
Aminopyralid Remediation (JC's forum): http://transitionwhatcom.ning.com/group/aminopyralid?xg_source=acti...
Past WM Response team group- http://transitionwhatcom.ning.com/group/whatcommycologicalresponset...
Aminopyralid & Phosphorus Post per Farmer Walter & Horticulturist Alison - https://groups.google.com/forum/?fromgroups=#!topic/whatcomfarmers/...
* * * * *
Soils & Waters: Mycoremediation, Compost & Teas, Fungal Bioremediation')
Tags:
Thank you Heather!!! We need all this info, unfortunately.
Walter & Richard, I'll be adding in your blog links to this Solution oriented discusion that was started last year.
Would you be willing to look over these solution options and see if I've missed anything? If you send me an email, I'll edit after I get your feedback. Thanks!
Hi Heather
Surprised grosafe option was left out. Is standard for pesticide spill cleanup for many years. Substituting your own biochar may not work. Depends on chemistry of formation. Check references on my poster.
Before moving ahead a simple screening test is good idea to determine if you indeed have a problem after overwintering. suggest modeling after my soil screening test using radish or mustard seed.
Bio Char & Terra Preta! -Terra Preta- Secrets Of El Dorado - YouTube Video Series (especially see #VI ) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsQYjeqBOkk&feature=related
Lets build back up our lost biochar info & share resources. We lost much of our posted info on TW when one of our favorite wise neighbors left the site a year ago ;-) and everything he posted left too...glad he's back!! Links below, including a video series posted above.
Herbicide Inactivation with BioChar – Compared to Activated Carbon (AC)”- Richard Haard http://www.flickr.com/photos/rchaard/5366487002/sizes/l/in/photostr...
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