does anyone recognise this plant remnant?.....

Batgirl

Batgirl

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K1cx24c" title="Does anyone recognise this


As title really, tonnes of in in our current haylage.
 
They look like horseradish roots, you'll soon know if you taste a bit! Could also be dock roots but you wouldn't want any type of root in your forage if possible.
 
It doesn't look like our horseradish, that has big taproots.
It is a rhizome of some sort, a bit like irises. I would be worried that it is japanese knotweed in which case you would have to be extremely careful how it is disposed of. Can you trace the origin?
 
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Looks like either:
Sweet Flag (Acorus Calamus). Edible, palatable.
or
Galangale (Cypherus longus), which is also edible to horses.

Both grow on my land, and the ponies eat them. I think they are relatives of ginger, and have some pharmaceutical properties, but nothing negative as far as I'm aware.
 
right, thanks everyone, put me on the right track, it is a toss up between the Galangale and the Japanese Knotweed. Farmer is being a bit evasive, YO is on the case but knows I go on the forums so asked me to ask. Thanks for the help!
 
If it is JKW the farmer is committing an offence by letting it go off site without the correct paperwork and precautions taken.

https://www.gov.uk/japanese-knotwee...nvasive-plants-and-contaminated-soil-off-site

There is a duty of care for waste that affects all businesses. You must make sure that:

your waste is stored, handled, recycled or disposed of safely and legally by licensed individuals or businesses
you record all transfers of waste between your business and another business - using a WTN
you keep all WTNs, signed by both businesses, for at least two years
you record any transfer of hazardous waste between your business and another business using a consignment note
you keep all consignment notes, signed by both businesses, for at least three years
You must take waste plant material or contaminated soil to a site that has an environmental permit.

The conditions of the permit must allow the disposal of invasive plants at the site. You should check with the waste site in advance to make sure they can accept material containing invasive plants.
 
thanks Santa, it is my worry that is might be as he is being so evasive but the pics don't quite match the ones in our haylage so I am being a little optimistic. Hopefully the YO can come down a bit heavy about it potentially being JKW and scare him into an answer!
 
Just to clarify, I don't know what it is it could be anything really - but it shouldn't (as far as I know) not be in any preserved forage because nothing should be uprooted in the process. There are some experts on here who will put me right who know much more than me :)
 
I'm inclined to think Sweet Flag is more likely, as this is the only plant mentioned above which is has SURFACE rhizomes rather than underground ones.
 
It does not look like Japanese Knotweed. We have battled with the stuff for the past 14 years in our garden and only just starting to see the last of it and so I am sick of the sight of it! Its hard to tell the size of it from the picture but the colour looks wrong for JKW. Even when dried out it still retains a small amount of its colour. JKW often grows very straight and doesn't have numerous shoots coming of it. Whatever it is though, it shouldn't be in your haylage!
 
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