b'Beautiful Benefitscontinued from page 14LOOKING TO REDUCE SPRAY DRIFT IN THE GROVE? FOLLOW THESE TIPSSPRAY DRIFT is when a sprayed pesticide, herbicide, or fungicide reaches areas beyond the targeted cropand it has a number of undesirable effects. Spray drift can cause damage to nontargeted crops and wildlife areas, kill beneficial insects like pollinators, waste product, pose a danger to humans and animals, and more! Your Best Practices toolkit should always include efforts to reduce spray drift, both for the environment and for your operations bottom line. See our compilation of the best ways from UF/IFAS to reduce spray drift in your Florida citrus grove.WAYS TO REDUCE SPRAY DRIFTReading and following the products label is the first step in getting any spray right. The experts at UF/IFAS recommend these additional options for reducing spray drift:Equipment. The equipment youre using to apply herbicides or other chemicals can af-fect the chances of the spray drifting outside the application zone. Utilize drift reduction nozzles on your spray equipment. Equip your spray equipment with wide-angle nozzles. Lower spray boom heights and ensure that the spray boom remains stable. Stop the spray during application for missing trees in the row if possible. Spraying emp-ty spaces means that the spray does not enter the tree canopy, allowing it to drift. This wastes the product and allows it to drift outside of your application zone. others,theypracticedbreathingtechniquesandcreatedamacrame Set your equipment to as coarse a spray as possible to still obtain good coverage andhanger and a Japanese moss ballmetaphorically tying together the control; the higher the spray pressure, the finer the droplets. idea of the body-centered practices, support and the tangles of a root Herbicides have the greatest potential for damaging nontargeted crops, but they can beball.applied with a coarser spray; pesticides, including insecticides and fungicides, generallyThe UF Therapeutic Horticulture program, hosted at Wilmot Bo-must be applied with a finer droplet at a higher spray pressure. tanical Gardens, ran the study along with assistance from the UF Coun- Service and calibrate your equipment regularly to ensure your equipment is deliveringseling and Wellness Center experts, who helped develop wellness strat-the right spray deposition pattern. egies each week.Conditions Stress and mental health challenges are persistent obstacles for col-Do not apply products if it is windy or gusty outside; a good rule of thumb is to avoidlege students, reports have found. A 2024 State of Higher Education Re-spraying in winds over 10 miles per hour. port stated that one in three enrolled college students had considered Avoid spraying during thermal inversions; this is when air closest to the ground isdropping out, and of that number, 64% said it was due to emotional warmer than the air above it. Spraying under these conditions will cause drift when your product is moved upwards as the warm air rises. stress or mental health.Try to avoid spraying when the temperature is 90 F or higher. Thestudynotesthatgiventhatcollegecounselingandwellness Aim to apply pesticides early in the morning or late in the evening as conditions arecenters nationwide are overwhelmed with clients, a therapeutic hor-usually more ideal; for example, temperatures are generally cooler and wind is usuallyticulture program done in a group setting could be a useful tool to pro-more still in the morning or late evening than in the rest of the day.vide resources to students in need.Products Additional studies will be done to evaluate the effectiveness of the Choose application methods and formulations that have a lowerprogram in subsequent semesters. The program has run for seven se-chance of spray drift. mesters so far, and this study evaluates just the first three semesters Utilize drift control/drift reduction agents designed to minimizework.the formation of droplets smaller than 150 microns. While they helpDiehl says she hopes to expand this program to other universities, produce a more consistent spray pattern and aid in deposition, driftfirst in Florida and then nationwide.agcontrol additives do not completely eliminate drift, so you still need to take additional steps to avoid spray drift.GeneralIdentify areas around your grove that are more sensitive totheproductsbeingapplied,especiallynontargeted crops that are sensitive to herbicides.Utilize adequate buffer zones to keep spray drift fromreaching nontargeted areas.Keep records of each spray application, including an evalu- by MIKE ROBERTSation of the spray results and areas for improvement. This column is sponsored by Griffin Fertilizer Co., and the opinions expressed herein may not reflect those of CFAN or of its advertisers. BIO: Mike Roberts is the Vice President of the Frostproof, Florida-based Griffin Fertilizer Co. Roberts joined the company in November 2011. He has spent the majority of his career in the fertilizer/agchem industry. Roberts earned a Bachelor of Science degree in citrus production from Florida Southern College in Lakeland. For more information, visit griffinfertilizer.com.22 | CFAN FloridaAgNews.com'