Diquat is banned in the UK, EU, China and other countries. The US has resisted calls to regulate it

The herbicide ingredient used to replace glyphosate in Roundup and other weedkiller products can kill gut bacteria and damage organs in multiple ways, new research shows.

The ingredient, diquat, is widely employed in the US as a weedkiller in vineyards and orchards, and is increasingly sprayed elsewhere as the use of controversial herbicide substances such as glyphosate and paraquat drops in the US.

But the new piece of data suggests diquat is more toxic than glyphosate, and the substance is banned over its risks in the UK, EU, China and many other countries. Still, the EPA has resisted calls for a ban, and Roundup formulas with the ingredient hit the shelves last year.

  • SheeEttin@lemmy.zip
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    2 days ago

    I would, but that doesn’t work for stuff coming up through cracks in concrete, or through chain link fence. Most of the stuff I spray is stuff I can’t pull.

    I had some oriental bittersweet coming up, and for that I dug down and pulled as much as I can, didn’t even bother spraying. But there’s also Virginia creeper and black swallow-wort around here mixed in with other stuff, including on the property line that I can’t physically reach to pull. So that stuff I spray. (The neighbors basically let it grow wild, so they dgaf, I just keep it minimal.)

    • grue@lemmy.world
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      2 days ago

      I would, but that doesn’t work for stuff coming up through cracks in concrete, or through chain link fence.

      For that sort of stuff, I recommend vinegar or propane. lMO the only reason to use a fancy commercial herbicide is when you need it to be selective, e.g. when you’re trying to get rid of broad leaf lawn weeds without killing the grass, too. (Edit: I’m not endorsing that as a good reason, BTW, as I’m more of a !nolawns@slrpnk.net sympathizer myself. I’m just saying that it’s the only one that’s even plausible.)

    • Seasm0ke@lemmy.world
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      2 days ago

      Yeah those ones I been going manually. Ripped out and burned so much ivy and st johns wort… I just don’t want to spray so bad ill break my back every month