Spray drift exposure of bystanders and residents when spraying field crops

Abstract

Spray drift can be limited using drift-reducing nozzles and spray techniques and is obligatory when applying Plant Protection Products (PPP) alongside waterways in the Netherlands. The spray drift reducing measures implemented to protect the surface water also protect spray drift exposure of bystanders and residents in the neighbourhood of sprayed field crops using boom sprayers. Spray drift is estimated at different distances from a sprayed field crop based on earlier performed spray drift field experiments. A differentiation is made to measured spray drift deposition at ground level and estimated airborne spray drift up to 50 m distance from the treated field. Airborne spray drift curves are based on measured airborne spray drift at 5.5 m distance from the last nozzle. Airborne spray drift is further divided in exposure in the 0-3 m and 3-6 m high air layers. Results show that spray drift reducing technology (DRT) is important in reducing the exposure risk of bystanders and residents.