Improving ground spray application

Improving ground spray application of pesticides

CropLife Australia and the Australian Ground Sprayers Association are actively engaged in national and regional spray drift initiatives and have partnered to produce SprayBest. SprayBest is a best practice guide for spray applicators and farmers to provide the latest advice and resources required for efficient spray application and effective spray drift management. SprayBest supplements CropLife’s best practice reference guide, MyAgCHEMuse, and is an integral part of SprayPASS, the Australian Ground Sprayers Association’s stewardship program.

In Australia, the economic impact of weeds is estimated to be more than $4.8 billion each year. That’s why crop protection products are crucial to modern integrated pest management techniques and systems. However, it is critical that spray applicators, farmers and environmental land managers are properly equipped to use all registered crop protection products safely and responsibly.

Meaningful change in agricultural practice has been shown to result in improvements in on-target application efficiency and reduce the risk of pesticide drift occurring. However, management and minimisation of off-target spray drift is complex.

SprayBest is part of CropLife’s StewardshipFirst program which is a suite of whole-of-lifecycle initiatives and programs for the plant science industry’s products.

The best practice guide for ground spray application of pesticides | First edition

Where do all the IBCs go?

As more farmers turn to using Intermediate Bulk Containers (IBCs or 1,000 litre shuttles) for their agvet chemical needs, many are still unsure about the right way to return IBCs once they’ve been used.

While CropLife's stewardship subsidiary, AgSafe's drumMUSTER recycling program is specifically for single-use containers between one litre and 205 litres, there are alternative pathways for the sustainable disposal of IBCs. There are several proprietary programs active in Australia that agvet resellers and primary producers can connect with for the sustainable disposal of IBCs and enviro drums.

CropLife member companies use these programs for nearly all of their IBC products as part of their commitment to world-leading stewardship.

Schutz Australia, Astron Sustainability and Tank Management Services are three programs that refurbish and recycle used IBCs across Australia.

Agsafe recently conducted a survey of farming groups to inform the industry about the efficacy of current IBC return programs and the future needs to support sustainable farming practices. Less than 40 per cent of respondents knew about IBC returnable programs and of those that were aware, just under 50 per cent said they used a service.

CropLife members are working to reduce the number of containers entering the distribution scheme, increase the recycling of containers and extend the awareness of current IBC collection services.

There has been a recent social media trend involving people sharing the creative ways they have repurposed IBCs. Whilst these second-life projects are carried out with good intentions, IBCs that have held agvet chemicals should only be disposed of through a safe pathway.

Resellers are encouraged to support industry waste-reducing initiatives by sourcing products that have a sustainable pathway for the disposal of IBCs and enviro drums.

To find out more about intermediate bulk container disposal initiatives, visit:

drummuster.org.au/container-recycling/the-abcs-for-your-ibcs/