Gateway on Pesticide Hazards and Safe Pest Management

Corn Gluten Meal

(Corn Glutens)

General Information

• Product Names:

  WOW PLUS (Gardens Alive! Inc )
  Weedban (The Fertrell Company)
  Safe 'N Simple Pre-emergence Weed Control 9-0-0 (Blue Seal Feeds, Inc.)
  Weed Prevention Plus 8-2-4 (Woodstream Corporation)
  Soil Mender Corn Gluten Meal (Soil Mender Products )
  Nature's Guide Corn Gluten Meal (Nature's Guide)
  

• Chemical Class: Biological herbicide
• Uses: Lawns/broadleaf plants
• Beyond Pesticides rating: Least-toxic

Health and Environmental Effects

• Cancer: Not documented
• Endocrine Disruption: Not documented
• Reproductive Effects: Not documented
• Neurotoxicity: Not documented
• Kidney/Liver Damage: Not documented
• Sensitizer/ Irritant: Not documented
• Birth/Developmental Not documented
• Detected in Groundwater: Not documented
• Potential Leacher: Not documented
• Toxic to Birds: Not documented
• Toxic to Fish/Aquatic Organisms: Not documented
• Toxic to Bees: Not documented

Additional Information

• Regulatory Status:
  • EPA Factsheet (11/2002)
• Supporting information:
  • NCAP Pesticide Factsheet (Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides)
  • PAN Pesticides Database: (Pesticide Action Network)
• Studies:
  • Corn gluten meal application methods for organic weed control and squash production. Webber, C. and Shrefler, J. Proceedings of the 26th Oklahoma-Arkansas Horticultural Industry Show, January 5-6, 2007, Ft. Smith, Arkansas. 25:112-114.
  • Herbicidal activity of hydrolyzed corn gluten meal on three grass species under controlled environments. Liu et al. 2005. Journal of Plant Growth Regulation
  • Greenhouse Screening of Corn Gluten Meal as a Natural Control Product for Broadleaf and Grass Weeds. Bingaman and Christians. 1995. Hortscience.