RE: Apple-Crop: manure

[Fleming, William]

Unfortunate is right considering how many calls we get at the research center 
every summer from people whose gardens have been killed by manure or compost 
made with straw that has high residual herbicide levels. Tordon and Milestone 
seem to be the main culprits and can take years even in a compost pile to break 
down to safe levels.
Many times the herbicide comes in on hay and the person whose animals made the 
manure is totally unsuspecting. The only one to blame is the person who uses 
the end product without totally checking it out, everyone ahead of them in the 
process has obeyed the law.
 I've often thought that if an unscrupulous person wanted to cheat the organic 
laws they could use manure with herbicide residue for legal weed control.

Bill Fleming
Montana State University
Western Ag Research Center
Corvallis, MT 59828





From: apple-crop@virtualorchard.net [mailto:apple-c...@virtualorchard.net] On 
Behalf Of Axel Kratel
Sent: Thursday, November 05, 2009 10:26 AM
To: Apple-Crop
Subject: Re: Apple-Crop: manure

Unfortunately, the answer is yes, at least according to OMRI. I say 
unfortunately, because this means a certified organic orchard in this manner 
can have more chemical pesticides than a conventional orchard that uses organic 
pesticides but chemical fertilizer.

I would love to hear how you manage an organic apple orchard in Maine, that 
must be a tough thing to do. Here in the West we are so dry during the growing 
season that organic is relatively easy to do. But I hear it's much harder on 
the East coast.



From: Jill Kelly kelly...@metrocast.net
To: apple-crop@virtualorchard.net
Sent: Thu, November 5, 2009 6:41:49 AM
Subject: Apple-Crop: manure

If you apply manure from animals that are not raised organically or are 
confined to cages or feed lots are you still organic?  I think too much!

Art Kelly
Kelly Orchards
Acton, ME

Re: Apple-Crop: manure

[Jill Kelly]

Thanks Axel,
 You're correct.  There may not be enough sulfur available if we all tried 
to do it organically.  IPM seems to be best for us and probably for the 
environment here in the northeast.  In 2009 we had three days out of thirty 
with sun during June and July.  I was told by one organic apple grower that he 
had thirty applications on by the end of July, primarily for diseases.  We 
typically have to begin scab control towards the end of April and have bloom 
mid-late May.

Art Kelly
  - Original Message - 
  From: Axel Kratel 
  To: Apple-Crop 
  Sent: Thursday, November 05, 2009 12:26 PM
  Subject: Re: Apple-Crop: manure


  Unfortunately, the answer is yes, at least according to OMRI. I say 
unfortunately, because this means a certified organic orchard in this manner 
can have more chemical pesticides than a conventional orchard that uses organic 
pesticides but chemical fertilizer. 

  I would love to hear how you manage an organic apple orchard in Maine, that 
must be a tough thing to do. Here in the West we are so dry during the growing 
season that organic is relatively easy to do. But I hear it's much harder on 
the East coast.






--
  From: Jill Kelly kelly...@metrocast.net
  To: apple-crop@virtualorchard.net
  Sent: Thu, November 5, 2009 6:41:49 AM
  Subject: Apple-Crop: manure


  If you apply manure from animals that are not raised organically or are 
confined to cages or feed lots are you still organic?  I think too much!

  Art Kelly
  Kelly Orchards
  Acton, ME