Corn Gluten Meal—An "Accidental" Herbicide Custom Search An important breakthrough in organic lawn care has its roots in a fortunate accident by Iowa State University researcher Nick Christians. Christians's discovered corn gluten meal's herbicidal activities more than a decade ago while using leftover cornmeal to grow a pathogen found on golf course turf. While the experiment was a failure for its original intent, Christians found that the protein part of the corn—gluten meal, a corn milling byproduct—could inhibit root growth. He also discovered that the corn gluten meal contains 10% nitrogen by weight, thus making it an ideal "weed and feed" product. Corn gluten meal is common in many food/feed products and in dietary supplements for humans and animals. The active ingredient is a protein found in corn kernels that is not harmful to humans, to other non-target organisms, or to the environment. It provides a safer alternative to toxic chemicals commonly used for weed control on lawns. This product is intended for use only on established lawns, where the substance prevents normal root development in weed seedlings. Target PlantsThe target plants are weeds that grow in residential lawns, including crabgrass, creeping bentgrass, smart weed, dandelions, redroot bigweed, purslane, lambs quarter, foxtail, barnyard grass, and Bermuda grass. Application MethodsCorn gluten meal comes in a granular formulation, which is applied with a lawn spreader. In turf situations, it's often applied at 20 lb/1000 square feet; in garden situations, the rate may vary from 20 to 60 lb/1000 square feet. Broadcast it uniformly over the area and lightly rake it into the surface, then water in well. The meal then inhibits growth of the weed seedlings' root tips. Human Health RisksNo adverse effects to humans are known or expected from use of this meal in herbicide products. Corn gluten meal is eaten regularly by humans and livestock with no known adverse effects. It's categorized by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe for food use). It has no known toxic effects when tested in laboratory studies. And it does not have a legal maximum amount that can be present in food (i.e., it is exempt from needing a tolerance). Risks to the Environment No toxic effects have been identified in mammals, birds, or fish. In fact, corn gluten meal is commonly used in feed for cattle, fish, poultry, pets, and other animals. No harmful effects are expected if users follow the application rates and use directions on the label. If you need more information, contact: Biopesticides and Pollution Prevention Division From Corn Gluten Meal to Organic Fertilizers |