When you say the moss I'm right in thinking you mean what I'd refer to as the Lancashire mosses - Tarleton, Banks, Burscough etc?
The potatoes are being sprayed off, probably with glyphosate, to aid or ease harvesting. Two points here. First killing off the top growth simply clears the soil so machinery can easily pass over. The second could be to control growth for one of two reasons - the tubers have reached the required size or there is no market. Either way the tubers will stop developing/increasing in size.
The tubers are unaffected because glyphosate is a contact herbicide. There are five types of herbicide, contact, residual, selective, non-selective and systemic. Contact herbicides basically kill whatever they land on. Systemic herbicides are absorbed by the plant and attack all areas from within. Residual sit in the soil for months. While selective and non-selective either target specific plant types - broadleaf weeds for example - or kill everything in sight!!
There is evidence glyphosate used in this manner is allowing it to enter the food chain.
Thanks. I thought that, but didn't want to show my ignorance.Eh?
Glyphosate is a SYSTEMIC herbicide.
Thanks. I thought that, but didn't want to show my ignorance.
It was always Sulphuric acid to burn off the tops but I think that got banned and they switched to Diquat which is a contact herbicide.
Yes, you're quite right. For some bizarre reason, and I can't think why, I had Paraquat, Gramoxone, in mind when I wrote the above. A product one would not want to be close to.Eh?
Glyphosate is a SYSTEMIC herbicide.
Also helps to control blight and aids in storage of the tubers.That too is now banned IIRC.
For general info..
purpose of burning off the tops of root crops is generally to facilitate mechanical harvesting
Specialised air conditioned sheds and quilts for em now. Them tattie don’t know they’re born today.When I was a lad they stored potatoes in clamps next to the fields, do they still do that?
Not round here. Lift and away.When I was a lad they stored potatoes in clamps next to the fields, do they still do that?
Are you sure? That’s a new one for me.sugar beet and that is grown as winter fodder
Well it looks like sugar beet, but I've never tasted it! They feed it to sheep that they put on the fields in winter. It is stored between rows of hay bales.Are you sure? That’s a new one for me.