Horsetail

Your figures are correct.

It should do a pretty good job but please take great care with using it.

It is produced for professional use and farming. The problem you have with using it is that it is highly toxic and should wear professional style protection. I'm sure that the product will tell you what to wear but it amounts to full body protection. Rubber boots that should be washed immediately afterwards, full face mask, heavy duty or washable gloves and disposable coveralls.

One of the reasons for so much care in use is that it contains a surfactant which, in itself, is not harmful. What it does is increases the adsorbtion factor so that it spreads very easily on contact. This increases the danger of absorbtion through the skin. The absorbtion of glufosinate-ammonium through the skin can be as bad as drinking it.

You also need to be careful if you are on sandy soil as it can be very mobile through light soil and affect aquifers that tend to underly that type of soil.

The product is mainly aimed at the farming industry that use specially developed glufosinate-ammonium resistant GM crops.

 

I think the manufacturers claim that as it is a contact pesticide/herbicide the ground should be usable almost immediately.

I would do a practical test by planting something quick growing, like radishes, to see whether they germinate BUT I wouldn't eat them. No matter what the manufacturers say, I don't trust this type of chemical (maybe I'm a bit paranoid :skp and would not want to plant edibles for a number of years after having used it. Actually, that is not true because I wouldn't use it in the first place :flag:. My paranoia is showing :hehe:.

 

I would not dream of using this stuff myself without the proper gear and training - get a professional in if you must use this stuff.

 

I answered your second and third questions previously but always use the rate of application stated on the product. For what you want the highest usage rate will be necessary. Independant test have shown a residue for up to 22 days.

The normally recommended way for applying any killer to horsetail is to bruise it. The old fashioned way of doing so is to whack it with a spade. That way also helps relieve some of the anger you may have about the weed. :hehe:

I'm as amazed as Dai that you are able to get hold of it without a licence - if your land is less than 4 acres you won't get a licence. Products for retail sale have all been withdrawn and the concentration that they came in would not have solved your problem. The commercial strength product is likely to be withdrawn in August under EU91/414 - except in certain circumstances. A lot of the GM crops that were licenced for use with it have had that permission withdrawn.

You are probably getting it in from China. If you use it without the full protection that Dai recommends you are taking a big health risk. One of the major effects of the chemical is on the reproductive system :(.

If you use it then make sure that there is not the slightest breeze around and keep pets away - it is supposed to be extremely toxic to birds.