Spray and Soil Fumigant Buffer Zones in Canada

Buffer zones or No-Spray zones physically separate the end of the spray swath for the nearest downwind sensitive area.

Spray Buffer Zones Spray buffer zones are no-spray areas required at the time of application between the area being treated and the closest downwind edge of a sensitive terrestrial or aquatic habitat. Spray buffer zones reduce the amount of spray drift that enters downwind, non-target areas. Sensitive Terrestrial Habitats Sensitive terrestrial habitats can include hedgerows, […]

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Three manageable factors that affect spray drift

It’s not only field sprayers that drift. Photo Credit – G. Amos and D. Zamora, Washington State.

In 2014 one of our OMAFRA summer students designed a short-and-gritty demonstration using a backpack sprayer, a variable-speed fan and some water-sensitive paper positioned downwind at 1.5 metre intervals. The intent was to illustrate how sprayer operators could reduce the potential for off-target drift by recognizing and accounting for three factors: Apparent wind speed (i.e. […]

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Adjuvants – A Primer

Spreader/Surfactant penetrating wax paper to get to water-sensitive paper.

We can always count on receiving regular questions about tank mixes but in recent years we’re hearing more about adjuvants. Many pesticides are already formulated with a variety of adjuvants. Perhaps they are intended to improve shelf-stability, or mixing and/or product performance. A pesticide label may specify a particular name brand or generalize a category […]

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Spraying Ginseng with Arag Microjets

Classic Arag microjet nozzles.

In June 2013 we ran a ginseng spraying workshop and we learned as much as the growers did. Ginseng is notoriously difficult to spray: It is highly susceptible to pathogens given the high humidity and still conditions generally found under the shade structure. It forms a solid ceiling of leaves that resist spray penetrating to […]

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How much horsepower do I need?

How much horsepower (HP) do you need (really) when pairing a tractor and a towed sprayer or any other PTO powered implement? This important question should be asked BEFORE purchasing any towed implement. Surprisingly, there’s not much guidance out there, so you might hear answers like: Whatever my tractor has must be enough… whatever that […]

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