Sensitive crop Application site OK to spray Wind Growers are going to be more concerned with sensitive crops than the woods. In this example, the application site could be dicamba-tolerant soybean and the sensitive area might be tobacco. With the wind from northeast, we are supposed to leave the downwind buffer (white area) but since wind is away from the sensitive crop, we could spray.

Application Sensitive site crop Do not spray Wind Same situation but here the wind is toward the sensitive crop. You should not spray. That is clear enough.

Xtend soybean to be treated with dicamba Tobacco Corn, not treated with dicamba What do you do here? Best not to spray. Wind What would you do here? When a label says to not spray when a sensitive crop is downwind, there is no guidance on how far downwind. The labels don’t say you can’t spray if the sensitive crop is 200 feet, 2,000 feet, or 2 miles downwind. It just says to not spray. The general interpretation is if you can see the sensitive crop, don’t spray.

All the labels say this: Do not apply under circumstances where drift may occur to food, forage, or other plantings that might be damaged or the crops thereof rendered unfit for sale, use or consumption. Avoiding spray drift at the application site is the responsibility of the applicator NC operates under “no adverse effect” policy In spite of all the confusion around buffers, the labels are very clear on who is responsible for drift. The labels say do not apply under circumstances where drift may occur and hurt sensitive plants. And, avoiding spray drift is the responsibility of the applicator. NC operates under a no adverse effect policy. That basically means that even if you followed all the guidelines, if there is visible off-target damage, you are at fault.

Sensitive Crop Registries Before making an application, applicator must: Survey application site for neighboring non-target susceptible crops Consult with sensitive crop registries (if they exist) to identify specialty or certified organic crops that may be near All the new dicamba and 2,4-D labels mention sensitive crop registries. Before making an application, the applicator must survey application sites for neighboring non-target crops, and he must consult with sensitive crop registries to identify specialty or certified organic crops that may be nearby.

North Carolina subscribes to the FieldWatch, which includes the BeeWatch and DriftWatch registries. Things in the white box can be registered as specialty crops. Note that the registry covers Christmas trees, greenhouses and nurseries, orchards, vineyards, and organic crops. Also note that cotton, peanuts, and tobacco can be registered on the site. So far, only a few sensitive crops have been registered, but NCDA is promoting that program, and we expect to see more sites registered as we go along.

Click on You can go online, click on a registered site in your neighborhood, and see what is there. We will click on this site,

It says this York fellow has some vegetables registered, and it gives his contact information.

And, you can see exactly where the field is located And, you can see exactly where the field is located. By registering his sensitive crops, he has basically told you he has a sensitive crop there. There is no excuse for you to not know it is there. You can also register as an applicator. Then, if someone adds a registered crop site within your area, you will get an email informing you of that.

New Technology can be Used in Many Places IF use correct type nozzle, pressure, volume avoid windy days keep boom low maintain reasonable travel speed pay attention to what is downwind, observe a reasonable buffer and use common sense; some places and times you should not apply auxin herbicides If you can’t afford to buy it, don’t spray In spite of all we have discussed, in many cases we should be able to use the new technology without problems IF we follow the stewardship guidelines AND use common sense. Common sense includes realizing there are some places and some times where you should not try to use these auxin herbicides.

Sources of Off-Target Deposition Vapor drift Spray drift Sprayer contamination Another area of concern will be sprayer contamination.

The manufacturers of all of these products are recommending a triple rinse. Some labels do not mention a tank cleaner but the Engenia label recommends a detergent based tank cleaner. But, they mean more than just running water through the sprayer three times. Big rigs can have 20-30 gallons of solution in the system after it starts blowing air. The companies are assuming you get rid of that solution and clean out strainers before starting the triple rinse.

From: Enlist Duo label From: Xtendimax label I realize this is too small to read, but the manufacturers give specific cleanout instructions on the labels. You need to read that.

Sources of Off-Target Deposition Vapor drift Spray drift Sprayer contamination Can you get it out of the sprayer? Can you effective clean out a sprayer? The answer is yes, but understand it is not a simple 15-min job. It would be best to not use a sprayer that has had auxin herbicides for sensitive, high-value crops such as tobacco and vegetables.

With the type equipment most growers are running today, there are lots of hoses, valves, strainers, etc. to consider. With the cost of these things, it may not be feasible to have a sprayer dedicated to auxins. So, if after applying dicamba or 2,4-D, those sprayers will be used in a sensitive crop, then you need to make sure you have done a very thorough job of cleanout.

Excellent resource on cleaning sprayers and other equipment Published Aug, 2015 >50 pages Detailed pictures and instructions https://ag.purdue.edu/extension/ppp/Documents/PPP-108.pdf I will refer you to a publication from Purdue University. This is the most detailed source of sprayer cleanout information I have ever seen. You can access it at the website shown.

Best Management Practices Auxin Herbicides Best Management Practices Training developed by Alan York, NCSU Training approved by N. C. Dept. Agric. & Cons. Serv. Hopefully this presentation has given you better insight into how to use this new auxin technology responsibly and what you need to do to avoid off-target deposition. We encourage you to read and follow labels carefully, use only approved nozzles, keep the boom low, watch wind speed and direction, and use common sense.