Thread: Roundup - interesting new research

Originally Posted by Ace

I did the Cert IV in chemical application etc at tafe cause I deliver the course, we used to, to kids at school.

The instructor was telling us how he had this agronomis come in to do the cert III for work and how the agronomist had an angry farmer bring this drum of chemical into the shop and slam it on the counter and demand his money back. Agronomist asks why. Farmer tells him its not as strong as the previous batch he brought. Agronomist asks how he could possibly know that. Farmer says "This time I mixed it, it didnt make my fingernails fall off" Farmer was mixing it in a bucket and then sticking his whole arm in to swish it around to mix it before he threw that concentrated bucket load into the boom spray.

Chemicals are nasty things and when not used right they are bloody dangerous, but when used correctly in the correct conditions using the correct PPE they are relatively safe.

Problem is Ace once the chemical leaves the shop/manufacturer there is NO control on how it is used, the strength of the mix and the dose rates, Monsanto spokesman when I asked about dosage rate of Tordon, said that if it was not mixed to specs and dosed correctly then it would become a toxic problem and they had no way of controlling that. State Forests on the South Coast of NSW poisoned thousands of trees in preparation for a Charcoal plant (didn't go ahead) in the area doubled the potency and dosage was 2,3 and 4 times the recommended dosage. Not only did they kill the trees but everything within a 3 metre radius of each tree turned some areas into barren rock and soil, a lot of that poisoned wood was sold off as firewood, I wonder how long it will be before that comes back to haunt us, Regards Frank

Originally Posted by Mr Whippy

Not an expert here but would have thought burning the trees would not be a big deal as it would only be a surface spray, unlike say treated pine which is soaked through in poison, arsnic in a lot of cases.

Dave.

Dave, Tordon is not a surface spray, it is injected into the woody part of the tree and travels through out the tree, injections are a couple of inches deep and (supposed to be) 6 inches apart around the tree a metre or so above ground level, so by the time the tree dies it (Tordon) has travelled from roots to tips, Regards Frank.