This is one to review and share! A very educational slide show from Jason at Sprayers101.com
There’s been unprecedented demand for information regarding the safe and effective application of the new dicmaba products registered in Canada in late 2016. In response, every extension agent, agrichemical rep and researcher with any know-how on the subject has spent the last year (or more) speaking at grower meetings. I, for one, am fairly certain…
Despite the abundance of information available on spray drift, we continue to see widespread incidents of damage to a variety of crops every year. Do applicators just not care or are they missing some vital information when making decisions to spray? I believe it is the latter. What is the problem? In my experience, the…
Are soybeans or tomatoes more sensitive to dicamba? Are sweet potatoes or watermelon more likely to be hurt by 2,4-D? Could crops show visual injury at 1/800th of the rate of one of these products?
In a recent article in Southeast Farm Press, Dr. Stanley Culpepper, University of Georgia Extension weed specialist, shared his data on crop sensitivity (visual injury) to dicamba and 2,4-D. Note that most of this data is from trials in Georgia (and some of the crops on the list reflect that). Continue reading How sensitive is your crop to dicamba and 2,4-D?
This is one to share with the neighbours. Every spring, we see way too much spray drift onto vegetable crops (as well as residential areas and sensitive habitats). Not only can this reduce yields by injuring or even killing the crop, but there are many other serious consequences to the victim of spray drift such as:
Some of these consequences are particular to certain horticultural crops and others are common no matter what you grow.
Neighbours or custom operators working in adjacent fields may not realize how sensitive the horticultural crops are or the potentially devastating consequences of drift injury that go well beyond the yield loss. Communication between applicators and adjacent home owners or growers is critical, and it should be the applicator that initiates the conversation.
The potential for spray drift can be greatly reduced, but only when spray applicators educate themselves about how spray moves. Several resources including videos, online tools, written material, and public shaming are listed below. Continue reading Preventing Spray Drift
Dr. Jason S.T. Deveau, Application Technology Specialist, OMAFRA; Kristen Callow, M.Sc., Weed Management Program Lead – Horticulture, OMAFRA
Pesticide spray drift has become a prominent issue in recent years. Both industry and the farm community take it very seriously, recognizing that even extremely low amounts of spray drift can impact sensitive crops, human habitats or environmentally sensitive areas.
Pesticide drift is the aerial movement and unintentional deposit of pesticide outside the target area. There are two forms of pesticide drift: Continue reading New Spray Drift Awareness Videos Educate
Kristen Callow, OMAFRA Weed Management Program Lead – Horticulture; Leslie Huffman, OMAFRA Apple Specialist
Crop injury caused by herbicide drift is guaranteed to cause misery and confrontation, not to mention insurance claims and legal charges. No one wins when herbicides drift – the applicator loses two ways: his herbicide misses the target, giving poor weed control, plus he is liable for damage; the “receiving” grower loses yield, crop health, perhaps timely markets plus his time. Sometimes our environment loses, and in general, agriculture loses in the public eye.
There are a number of steps to follow when you suspect herbicide drift: Continue reading You suspect herbicide drift – now what?
Kristen Callow, OMAFRA Weed Management Program Lead – Horticulture; Leslie Huffman, OMAFRA Apple Specialist
Crop injury caused by herbicide drift is guaranteed to cause misery and confrontation, not to mention insurance claims and legal charges. No one wins when herbicides drift – the applicator loses two ways: his herbicide misses the target, giving poor weed control, plus he is liable for damage; the “receiving” grower loses yield, crop health, perhaps timely markets plus his time. Sometimes our environment loses, and in general, agriculture loses in the public eye. Continue reading You Suspect Herbicide Drift – Now What?
