Spray Drift

Daddy Pig

Member
Location
dorset
we live net door to commercial apple orchards,we have always had problems with spray drift but this year the amount of spraying been done has increased substantially on previous years. the main part of the problem is the design of orchard sprayers which rely on a big fan to blow the spray through the trees with the result that most of it goes into the air and just drifts over the neighbours, yesterday evening was the worst ever for us with the air thick with the smell and by 10.00 it felt like someone was poking sharp needles in my eyes, the rest of the family was also effected and the kids eyes are still sore today. I know they have a business to run but I don't think it Is acceptable to damage my childrens health in this way and is there anything I can do to stop it.
 

Kidds

Member
Horticulture
I don't think it is acceptable for spray drift to leave the property under any circumstances.
Complain like mad to whoever will listen starting with the owner.

I use one of those sprayers and am always conscious of the golf course next door, never had a complaint but don't like doing the bits that are closest.
 

Gav

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Norfolk
Definitely unacceptable for their spray drift to be leaving their property and causing you and your family such problems. Some of the pesticides used through those sprayers are really unpleasant when you look at the labels. There are air induction low drift nozzles available for that type of sprayer but I’ve yet to find a sprayer that’s been fitted with them in the course of my job unfortunately.
If your neighbours aren’t reasonable when you speak to them then just mention HSE and off target applications in the same sentence, it’s the last resort but why should you and your family have to suffer.
 

Daddy Pig

Member
Location
dorset
don't know of its a coincidence or not but Fridays spray smelt a lot more potent than normal and the owners decided to have a long weekend away and leave there polish worker here to do the spraying.
 

Still Farming

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
South Wales UK
don't know of its a coincidence or not but Fridays spray smelt a lot more potent than normal and the owners decided to have a long weekend away and leave there polish worker here to do the spraying.
Omg immigration office , certification licences , public heath dept.EA dept. And many more can or could be contacted also ???
 

Jim75

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Easter ross
It’s HSE you want to speak to AFAIK. I have a very awkward neighbour who I spray next to who causes me a lot of hassle/headaches whenever I turn up regardless of weather. A few weeks ago was the last straw and “words” were said. Apparently the police/environmental health had been contacted but they were not interested. I told him to phone sepa when he first arrived and having looked it up appears it’s HSE’s jurisdiction for failure to hit the target within the boundary. Google it and the regulation will appear before you.
 

Gav

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Norfolk
It’s HSE you want to speak to AFAIK. I have a very awkward neighbour who I spray next to who causes me a lot of hassle/headaches whenever I turn up regardless of weather. A few weeks ago was the last straw and “words” were said. Apparently the police/environmental health had been contacted but they were not interested. I told him to phone sepa when he first arrived and having looked it up appears it’s HSE’s jurisdiction for failure to hit the target within the boundary. Google it and the regulation will appear before you.

Correct, it’s HSE who deal with spray drift leaving the target area. EA will only be interested if it gets into the water courses. Environmental Health may show an interest but HSE first and foremost.
 

Bongodog

Member
A good friend who was a fruit farmer used to aim to finish his spraying before breakfast, not only did that mean no one was around to see or smell any drift but he was generally spraying into still air so any drift was minimal. His feeling was that he wanted his expensive chemicals on his trees, not on the neighbours field.
 

Daddy Pig

Member
Location
dorset
from our point of view spraying into still air is the worst thing possible as it just hangs around all day.much better when they spray on a windy day, tend not to notice it then.
 

Bongodog

Member
from our point of view spraying into still air is the worst thing possible as it just hangs around all day.much better when they spray on a windy day, tend not to notice it then.

Not sure what you want. firstly you complain of drift. then you say its better that they spray on a windy day ? perhaps you just want them to spray on days when someone else gets the spray drift ?
 

Exfarmer

Member
Location
Bury St Edmunds
Not sure what you want. firstly you complain of drift. then you say its better that they spray on a windy day ? perhaps you just want them to spray on days when someone else gets the spray drift ?
No you are both right, anyone who has been spraying with fine nozzles has seen the effect on a near still day when the spray drift moves en masse. Most of todays crop spraying is done with nozzles which do not do this but there are still situations where these fogging nozzles are used.
A day with air turbulence means this cloud is gone very quickly, even seconds. However this is not what orchard sprayers are trying to achieve
 

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Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

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As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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