ARS | Publication request: Spray Drift Issues and Technologies for Mitigation

Submitted to: Meeting Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: February 13, 2007
Publication Date: February 13, 2007
Citation: Thomson, S.J. 2007. Spray Drift Issues and Technologies for Mitigation. Meeting Proceedings.

Technical Abstract: Herbicide-induced plant damage due to off-target spray drift has become a major problem in some regions prompting States to take regulatory action regarding drift mitigation. For example, the Arkansas Plant Board has proposed new regulations regarding spray of Glyphosate and 2, 4-D. These regulations focus heavily on mandatory training and record keeping requirements that include logging weather conditions. Many technologies and spray management techniques are available to reduce the likelihood of off-target spray drift. Applicators should avoid spraying when temperature inversions exist as this is a major reason for plant damage a long distance away from spray sources. There are rules-of-thumb available to assist applicators in determining what times of day an inversion is likely. However, further study is needed on weather conditions, probabilities, and the times of day favorable for these inversions to occur. New nozzles and nozzle/atomizer configurations have been designed for both ground and aerial platforms to reduce the number of small spray droplets that have a tendency to drift off-target. A new nozzle that keeps the same droplet spectrum regardless of pressure has shown promise for variable-rate ground application and may be useful for aerial platforms. Prudent spraying techniques combined with the latest technologies and properly calibrated systems can significantly reduce the likelihood of off-target spray drift that can cause significant injury to susceptible crops.