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Education Key to Better
Compost in the Future

Printer Friendly Clopyralid Brochure Printable PDF (opens in new window) PDF 255K

"The reason we wanted to test 2003's compost prior to distribution was the prevalence of Clopyralid found in municipal compost facilities in California, Washington, Oregon, and Pennsylvania. We wanted to know if this particular herbicide was being used locally on residential lawns - to such an extent that it could potentially cause plant damage when used as compost for backyard gardens", says Mollie Mangerich. "We sent a composite sample to a laboratory in Moscow, Idaho and it came back with the result of Clopyralid found at 52 parts per billion (ppb) in our compost - a level which can be harmful to susceptible plants such as tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, peas, beans and sunflowers - plants often grown in backyard gardens and nurseries".

Clopyralid is the active ingredient in several herbicide products used to control broadleaf weeds and exhibits low acute toxicity to humans and has a high efficacy rate on target weeds. Because of these attributes, when properly applied, it provides great benefit in agricultural and commercial uses. "The transference occurs when this ingredient is applied to residential lawns and then those grass clippings are set out for collection destined for our compost facility", says Mangerich.

The Solid Waste Division believes grass clippings from residential lawns are the primary source of the contamination. City crews collect grass clippings and leaves on a weekly basis, March through November, and transport them to the compost facility for processing.

The compost processed during 2003 will be held back for further testing. Any new compost produced will be tested for this herbicide before any future public distribution is planned.

Education is Key

Products containing the active ingredient Clopyralid are manufactured and distributed for agricultural use and for use on residential lawns*. The labeling on these products warns against composting clippings from plants/turf to which Clopyralid was applied. However, clippings have still often found their way to compost facilities. Thus, the *label was recently changed to forbid usage on residential lawns. Older products without this new label are still available for residential use through chemical supply stores and in some garden and retail stores.

"Our community needs to learn how to reduce the transfer of this particular herbicide into our compost since the chemical's use is not restricted in the State of Kansas at this time", says Mangerich. Here are some tips:

  • Do not use herbicide products containing Clopyralid on residential lawns.
  • Instruct your lawn-care professional to not use Clopyralid-containing herbicide products on your property.
  • Do not set out grass clippings that have been treated with products containing Clopyralid for city collection and composting.
  • Do not compost materials in your backyard that have been treated with a Clopyralid-containing herbicide.
  • If you wish to use products containing Clopyralid, simply mow your lawn and leave the grass clippings on the lawn - they will disintegrate and return water, nutrients, and your lawn products to your property.

The Kansas State Cooperative Extension Service provides this list of brands of herbicides known to contain the active ingredient Clopyralid. This list is comprised of products that were registered and sold in Kansas are in either 2003 or 2004. To recognize such products, examine the ingredients of your herbicide and look for "Clopyralid (ANSI)," "Clopyralid, monoehanolamine salt," "Clopyralid triethanolamine," "3,6 Dichloropicolinic acid," or "3,6-Dichloro-2-Pyridinecarboxylic Acid."

  • 16-4-8 with Millennium Ultra Herbicide
  • Accent Gold Herbicide
  • Accent Gold WDG
  • Battleship
  • Chaser Ultra
  • Confront
  • Curtail
  • Curtail M
  • Hornet
  • Hornet WDG
  • Lesco Momentum Premium Selective Herbicide #062479
  • Lontrel Turf and Ornamental
  • Millennium Ultra Plus
  • Millennium Ultra Weed & Feed 20-5-10
  • Momentum Weed & Feed 0-0-7
  • Momentum Weed & Feed 21-0-12
  • Momentum Premium Weed & Feed 21-0-12
  • Preen N Green Lawns
  • Proscape with Confront 19 2 9
  • Redeem R&P
  • Riverdale Millennium Ultra
  • Riverdale Millennium Ultra Selective Herbicide
  • Riverdale Trupower
  • Riverdale Trupower TM Selective Herbicide
  • Stinger
  • Strike 3 Ultra
  • Tee Time 18-5-9 With Millennium Ultra Herbicide
  • Transline
  • Weed & Feed (Howard Johnson's)
  • Weed & Feed 32-3-5 (Free Flow Fertilizer)
  • Weed & Feed with Millennium Ultra HJE
  • Winter Weed & Feed 24-4-14 (Free Flow Fertilizer)