Barrier H Ragwort Control

Barrier Animal Healthcare

Destroy Ragwort in record time with Barrier H. Designed as a spot spray treatment, it can be used ALL YEAR ROUND even in winter. Applied to flowerheads, it will stop the seeding process.

The Problem: Very pretty but highly poisonous, this prolific weed is the bane of all horsy people’s lives. The problem worsens, as some landowners simple don’t take the problem seriously or possibly don’t realise the severity of the problem. It is vitally important that everyone does their bit to educate others of the facts and the fatal effects it can have on horses, cattle and sheep, if ignored.

Licence: Barrier H is the world's first herbicide made using only natural plant derivatives from sustainable resources - licensed on the 14th April 2000. MAPP no. 10136

Cost effectiveness: Barrier H will destroy ragwort at all stages of growth and any time of year, but it is more cost effective to treat when at small seedling stage. Larger plants, especially flowering plants require much more Barrier H because the whole of the plant has to be covered. 5L of Barrier H is enough to treat up to 1600 tiny seedlings and up to 110 flowering plants or large rosettes and so it is more cost effective to treat when Ragwort first appears. Winter application is a good time to apply Barrier H because Ragwort is easily visable. Traditional weeds and grasses die back and Ragwort seedlings and re-growth from older plants appear. Ensure the whole plant is well wetted but not to the point of run off. This especially applies to large flowering plants - the WHOLE plant has to be wetted.

Exclusion From Grazing: Ensure that you apply Barrier H to the whole of the Ragwort weed. After application, we recommend that animals are kept away from treated pasture for 2 weeks, or until the ragwort is completely dead and any debris (with more mature plants) has been removed. This is not because Barrier H is in any way harmful, but, because the dying ragwort becomes palatable and dangerous to animals. Remember the root is the last part of the plant to die, so be careful not to remove any dead tops too soon.

Cutting or Pulling: Time spent digging, cutting or pulling often results in encouraging the spread of Ragwort. Tiny pieces of root left behind can lead to the growth of bigger and stronger plants.

Flowering Ragwort: Barrier H can be applied to flowering Ragwort but re-growth may occur especially in moist conditions. Apply Barrier H directly to the whole of the plant to help prevent the seeding process.

Spot Treatment: Barrier H comes in a 5L container with spray attachment and is used as a spot treatment for Ragwort. It is easy to apply holding the container handle in one hand and the spray gun in the other. One single squirt is sufficient to cover a tiny seedling.

Seeds: Ragwort Seeds can lay dormant in the soil for up to 20 years. Each plant can produce up to 150,000 seeds with a 70% germination rate.

Summer application: Late June, July and August are normally when Ragwort flowers. For every flowering Ragwort, there are around 10 small seedlings or rosettes close by which need to be treated before they too become large flowering plants. Flowering plants are more difficult to kill and so it is essential that Barrier H is applied to the whole of the Ragwort but not to the point of run-off.

Winter Ragwort: Autumn, Winter and Spring are when rosettes are most visible. Grasses die back and most other weeds die off leaving the bright green Ragwort easy to see and to treat. However, to achieve the very best results, Barrier H is best applied in dry conditions.

Other Weeds: Barrier H has been tested on many other weeds including Docks, Thistles, Nettles and Bracken and we have anecdotal evidence of quick kill on all of them. We intend to apply for an extension to our license to include all broadleaf weeds in the very near future.

New Ragwort Control Act Is Now Law: Common Ragwort is one of five injurious weeds and until recently was covered by the provisions of the Weeds Act 1959 making it the responsibility of landowners to help prevent the spread of this dreadful weed, so Farmers, Horse owners, Local Authorities, Network Rail and the Highways were all affected. Under this act, DEFRA (Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs) and its predecessor MAFF were always able to investigate complaints where land had been under threat and made it a priority to investigate where animals or production are concerned. Due to government encouragement into farm diversification such as equine and leisure activities, the effectiveness of measures taken to enforce the weed act to prevent ragwort infestations and its consequences came into question.

Years of campaigning started to make a mark. A code of practice was drawn up in preparation for a new Ragwort Control Bill and was unveiled by Rural Affairs Minister Alun Michael - also the new Minister for the Horse.

Initiated by The British Horse Society the Ragwort Control Bill is now Law. It finally completed its journey through Parliament, receiving Royal Assent on 20th November, 2003 and come force in England & Wales on the 20th February, 2004, making horses safer from the threat of ragwort poisoning. This new Act amends the Weeds Act 1959 and should make a real difference as landowners will now need to act when they find ragwort on their land and prevent the spread of this weed. This act enabled the Secretary of State to create a Code of Practice for landowners and occupiers, which was published in the Spring of 2004. It provides guidance to all landowners and occupiers on when, where and how to control Ragwort. It should be particularly helpful to larger landowners and land managers to enable them to develop a strategic and cost effective approach to weed control. It should also assist landowners and others to strike the right balance between the protection of animal welfare and the need to preserve bio-diversity within the countryside. Heavily infested neighbouring land has always posed a threat of seed invasion and where gentle persuasion proves ineffective the act has in important feature in that the code will also be admissible in evidence, if enforcement proceedings under the Weeds Act are necessary. Full information can be found on the DEFRA website www.defra.gov.uk