Ragwort focus

 

Ragwort is one of the most common, and most dangerous, plants to be found in UK fields and spring is a good time to check for and remove the early growth of this potentially deadly weed.

 

Common Ragwort (Senecio Jacobaea) is poisonous to horses and other livestock and can have potentially fatal consequences if ingested either in its green or dried state. Rebecca Ball, managing director of Rag-Fork Ltd explains: “Ragwort contains a group of deadly toxins. When eaten by grazing animals, particularly horses, the plant causes severe liver damage and is often fatal. These toxins pass from the gut directly to the liver, where they destroy cells until there are too few left to carry out vital functions. Liver failure is then inevitable.”

 

Over 90% of complaints that Defra receives about injurious weeds concern ragwort.

 

In 2003 the British Horse Society sponsored a Private Member's Bill to amend the Weeds Act to provide for a code of practice to prevent the spread of ragwort. Government supported the Bill and the Ragwort Control Act came into force in February 2004. Defra worked with the British Horse Society and other stakeholders, including English Nature, Wildlife Trust, and ADAS to produce the code of practice, which was launched at the Royal Show in July 2004.

Further guidance was published in September 2005 on the options for disposing of ragwort. Find out more at www.defra.gov.uk

 

Control

 

The best way to control and prevent the spread of ragwort is with good paddock management, for instance regular dung removal and a sturdy sward of grass that is not over-grazed.

 

Rebecca Ball from Rag-Fork Ltd offers some top tips for ragwort removal:

 

“Ragwort is considered a biennial plant and in the spring of the first year it grows as a flattish rosette typically spanning two to six inches in diameter, which if lifted early enough is easier to deal with. If ragwort has become established, complete removal of the plants is essential. 

 

The most effective way of doing this over areas that are not heavily infested, is to dig up rather than hand pull the plant including the roots, ideally when the plant is immature (rosette stage) and the ground is soft.  Pouring rock salt into the hole afterwards can help destroy left behind root fragments.

 

All uprooted plants must always be immediately removed from paddocks, ideally in sealed bags or containers and disposed of well away from livestock, preferably by incineration to prevent seed dispersal.

 

The potential dangers to human health are also starting to be recognised, and due to this, gloves and facemasks when the plants are flowering should always be worn in order to protect skin from contact with the plant.

 

Finally, remember that ragwort control is an ongoing process. As seeds can remain in the ground for many years before they germinate, you are likely to find that you will have plants to remove year after year.” 

 

Readers' Comments

You must be logged in to view or make comments