Cotton Australia's new campaign tackles spray drift risks for growers

13 Nov '23

2 min read

Pic: Adobe Stock

Insights

Cotton Australia (CA) is launching an information campaign, in collaboration with enforcement agencies, to mitigate spray drift risks during the peak danger period.
This initiative includes radio ads, media releases, and stakeholder liaison to encourage responsible practices among growers.
CA is also developing an app for reporting spray drift damage.

Cotton Australia (CA) is planning a targeted information and advertising campaign and collaborating with enforcement agencies ahead of the peak spray drift danger period. After presenting a series of spray drift action items to growers at the last general meeting, CA is finalising a radio advertising campaign, media releases, and liaising with other key stakeholders to ensure that growers and contractors do the right thing by themselves and their neighbours this season.

CA CEO Adam Kay said that this is the first season when all 100-plus WAND towers are operational, providing spray operators with a powerful and free tool that can quickly detect hazardous conditions and inversions, enabling cotton and grain growers and spray contractors to spray in compliance with label requirements.

SataCrop can map all crop types, including cotton, grains, and tree crops. Growers log in and plot the location of fields they have planted with different crops each season, allowing others to review the site when planning spray applications to identify the location of potentially sensitive neighbouring crops.

CA will soon be releasing an app that makes it easy to report spray drift damage as soon as it is seen and is also assisting groups like SOS NSW in promoting their activities, including an upcoming Spraywise application session on November 16 in Moree.

Spray drift refers to the movement of pesticide or herbicide spray particles or vapors through the air to unintended targets such as non-target crops, wildlife habitats, waterways, and residential areas. This can occur during or after the application of the chemicals in agricultural or other settings.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (NB)

More Cotton Australia News... More Textiles News - Australia...