Veg looks deformed

Q: I have, along with three of my fellow allotment holders, a big problem with broad bean plants and potatoes. The leaves are shrivelled and curled, but there are no signs of pests.


A: The plants in your picture look horrible, Mr Williams – with leaves deformed and curled in on themselves. Many of the leaves also looked unnaturally small and recovery seems unlikely at this stage in the year. It’s impossible to prove anything from a picture, but this looks like a serious incident of herbicide contamination.
Were you or your colleagues using farmyard or stable manure? If so, it could have been contaminated with hormone weedkiller used on grassland from which hay was made, or which was grazed too soon after herbicide application. The dung of animals grazing or feeding could have contained herbicide residues which may have caused this damage.
You might find the relevant page on the RHS website of interest. Log onto www.rhs.org.uk/news/weedkiller-manure.asp for further information and helpful advice.