Bracken

[Countryboy]

whats the best chemical to clear bracken before it takes over please. I have been reading that us old boys are losing our grandfather rights to spray chemicals in November. I have put my name down on the course to get my certificate and assessment, but what is the training course like. I have not done any courses for years so wounds what it is like. I only need the certificate to spray in my own woodland. I understand there is 35 pages on the assessment.

[C.J]

Asulox. Used to be licensed for docks as it was clover safe.

[daveindales]

Asulox. It's the only really effective one. Will need repeat application next year and perhaps for a few more years.

[matelot]

Have you considered heavy grazing? I understand if you graze it hard with cows the cow's hooves trample the bracken down.

[nepia]

Not good; even if the beasts eat it it's carcinogenic though I'm not sure to what degree.

[matelot]

Not good; even if the beasts eat it it's carcinogenic though I'm not sure to what degree.

 

My understanding is that the cows get hungry and roam the field looking for grass. Their hooves trample the bracken - they don't eat it.

 

Do cows get cancer? I'd imagine most beef cows would be slaughtered after a few years (too young to get cancer?)

[nepia]

I'd say that if there's enough bracken for you to consider spraying it there's too much for cattle. Yes, they prefer grass but can't be 100% selective (horses would never ingest ragwort if the animals could be).

As for the risk of cancer being acceptable because the beast only has a limited life expectancy - I won't go there but it wouldn't surprise me if there were chemical residues in such meat that were deemed not suitable/pleasant for human consumption. That's just a guess.

What about breeding stock though? Or dairy stock? Many cows milk to 10 years old.

[matelot]

Using cattle to control bracken is suggested by quite a few organisations like the RSPB and Defra:

 

"Winter-feeding can be used to attract livestock on to the site so that, 1) bracken buds and developing fronds which are close to the surface or just emerged are damaged by stock treading (cattle are more effective than sheep) and 2) the litter is disturbed and broken up (this also encourages frost penetration to the rhizomes."

 

What do you think spraying Asulox onto bracken does for "chemical residues" in meat produced in nearby farms?

[Billy68]

Have a look on the britsh horse loggers site braken basher

[nepia]

Using cattle to control bracken is suggested by quite a few organisations like the RSPB and Defra:

 

"Winter-feeding can be used to attract livestock on to the site so that, 1) bracken buds and developing fronds which are close to the surface or just emerged are damaged by stock treading (cattle are more effective than sheep) and 2) the litter is disturbed and broken up (this also encourages frost penetration to the rhizomes."

 

What do you think spraying Asulox onto bracken does for "chemical residues" in meat produced in nearby farms?

 

 

I'm surprised by that advice. I've not met a farmer who doesn't keep his stock away from bracken.

 

As for travelling residue from Asulox... not a clue.

 

 

There are several references on the web but the most credible I found in 2 minutes comes from Cancer Research UK;

http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/cancers-in-general/cancer-questions/does-bracken-cause-cancer

Edited July 3, 2015 by nepia