FARMERS spraying weeds this summer are reminded of the golden rules to prevent drift and avoid damage to neighbouring properties.
NSW Farmers’ Agricultural Science Committee chair, Justin Everitt, said taking several key precautions remained essential when planning to spray.
“We’ve always got to monitor weather conditions closely when we’re spraying, and while we’re all on a time crunch, it’s important to stop spraying as soon as conditions change and are no longer suitable for spraying,” Mr Everitt said.
“Spraying as close to the target as possible and ensuring you’re using the appropriate spray nozzle also helps enormously in preventing spray drift.
“It never hurts as well to consult your agronomist on your spray mix and its impact, so you have all the information you need to spray safely this summer.”
Off-target spray drift can occur when agricultural chemicals or vapour become airborne and drift outside the intended area when sprayed. This can happen if chemicals are applied at the wrong time of day, or during the wrong weather conditions.
“We’ve seen significant damage to crops in the past as a result of off-target spray drift, so it’s critical we keep prevention top of mind this season,” Mr Everitt said.
“Our neighbours will thank us for it, and wouldn’t it be brilliant if 2026 was a stellar production year for us all.”
Under the Pesticides Regulation 2017, compulsory record keeping of pesticide use is required in NSW, with records to be made within 48 hours and kept for three years.
Pesticide and application details including weather need to be included in the record.
A sample pesticide application record is available on the EPA website.
Anyone affected by a spray drift incident or pesticide misuse, should report the incident to the NSW EPA Environment Line on 131 555 as soon as possible.
