Bracken control with Asulox comes under scrutiny

The control of bracken by aerial spraying Asulox is common practice. But there is a possibility that the herbicide will be banned during a 9th March, European committee meeting. Some groups fear the effect on controlling bracken without recourse to Asulox, writes Carol Miers.

In an article called Bracken control in Scotland at risk, The National Farmers Union Scotland (NFUS) said they are 'deeply alarmed and view the continued use of Asulox as vital to keeping many of Scotland’s hills and uplands in a grazeable condition'. 

The NFUS vice-president, John Picken said:

"Such is the importance of Asulox to Scottish hill farmers that we are throwing every resource into seeking its continued use in controlling bracken.”

While the NFUS talked about the need for bracken-free hills for grazing cattle, there are other interested groups, such as grouse-shooters and ramblers. There is also a financial incentive for grouse shooting.

During 2009, managing bracken was regarded as a huge issue and not only in Britain. The House of Lords European union committee discussed the future. In New Zealand a huge drop in sheep numbers had led to great areas 'returning to wilderness', they said.

One person present was Mr Thomas Everard whose family became known during the foot and mouth disease of 2001 when they tried to stop cattle culling. Mr Everard spoke about the success in some areas in increasing the heather and controlling bracken:

"What I saw on the North York Moors was that a huge amount of energy went into managing heather because the only remaining income coming in there is from shooting. So controlling heather for grouse and its different levels and ages for grouse was very important. Where the bracken was really bad up there was in sloping fields, in the valleys and you saw farms going downhill and you saw walls enclosing merely acres of bracken."

It seems that mainly mice, caterpillars and woodland animals can eat bracken. Moth larvae and invertebrates feast on it. It is not un-harmful and water contamination effects are thought to be linked to higher incidence of human stomach cancers.

Historically, many farmers would harvest bracken and use it as winter bedding for livestock. Dung and bracken could later be used as a fertilizer. However with straw being cheaper it is easier to use straw than to cut down the fern. In Dartmoor history, Tim Sanders now considers bracken control to be at a stalemate between pesticide management and redundant need of the land.

Mr Sanders writes that in past times, while more animals were grazing on the hillsides, they were treading down the bracken fronds which also helped to keep it in check.

Nowadays one farmer may have 1000 sheep with fewer working hands, less people and then also less fern being cut back for any use.

In the past, bracken has also been used as packaging for slate and earthenware and for putting up the chimney and setting alight to 'save bothering with sweeps.' The fern has even been used in cloth processing, soap making and as a type of roof thatch.

But with no current use for bracken, herbicides are used often. For example, the Forestry commission in the New forest give advice saying that that 'where bracken is over heather spraying with asolux once every five years may be enough'.

Of course there have been studies to deal with the problem. The international research centre, the Macaulay Institute carries out commissioned research for the Scottish government. The academic Professor Robin Pakeman published a paper titled Bracken ecology, status and control with the backing of DEFRA. The research paper is on the website of the Asulox producers, United Phosphorous Ltd.

The institute carried out trials exploring options for managing the bracken including the introduction of wild boar.

In the reports' thoughts for the future were combinations of grazing animals, pesticide control and re-vegetation, or cost-effective woodland regeneration strategies. Woodland habitats could then be maintained relatively easily it suggested.

Professor Robin Pakeman explained today's options, he said:

"Different methods are appropriate for different places. The choice is between cutting and herbicide. Treatments like rolling and bruising are ineffective."

To cut, land must be safe enough for a tractor and 'flat enough for your cutter to survive'. While cutting more often suppresses the bracken more quickly it 'won't eradicate the bracken', the Professor said.

“The main herbicide used is Asulox. This has been seen as a narrow spectrum herbicide in that it affects few other plants than bracken. Those it affects are in the main other ferns, mosses and liverworts," the Professor said.

"It is also not toxic to animal life at the doses used for spraying. If followed up properly, this is the only method shown to be capable of eradicating the bracken."

Many areas of Scotland are inaccessible to vehicles but aerial spraying with Asulox has been approved.

"All in all, the ban will make life very difficult or even impossible for bracken control in the uplands. The loss of Asulox will be a major problem for upland managers and other countryside users and inhabitants," the Professor said.

Whatever the reasons for the spreading of uncontrolled bracken, many will wait anxiously for the results of the 9th March committee meeting.

Comments

[Triciasayle@manx.net]

Can anyone please tell me how long it takes for Asulox to become rain-fast as I am racing to try and get the bracken sprayed before it is too late but finding some decent weather is difficult.

I would like to take the individual who got this product banned, taken out and subjected to a long, vert painful end!

many thanks

tricia

[Philip Voice]

Hi Tricia

I don't know the answer to your question but I found a good thread on asulox: http://farmingforum.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=35548