Spraying fungicide and side effects

[teslacoils]

Wow, I would settle for that concoction over any man made chems. Although as an Aromatherapist I know there are risks with anything and everyone is different. That would be better for the Bee's too? in very diluted amounts.

Tricky isn't it? I'd be happier with ag chem that has had ten years of trials data than something seemingly inert. The old "Bordeaux mixture" is not nice on skin. And most modern day insecticides are derived from plant defense mechanisms (then synthesised) whereas the fungicide I'm about to apply was created from a mushroom extract. Plant growth regulators are synthesised versions of natural plant chemicals. It's honestly not this huge terrible corporate master plan. Just a different way of doing things. And yay we are able to go to a shop and find foods freely available that a produced to standards that tick everyone's boxes. The absolute base standard of UK food production is incredibly high. Soy &avocados probably not so much.

 

[teslacoils]

Your hedge? I'd have told them to fudge off.

The thought is that my hedge actually impacted their lives because they could see it from their window. I did offer to sell it to them with the associated paddock....m

 

[ollie989898]

The thought is that my hedge actually impacted their lives because they could see it from their window. I did offer to sell it to them with the associated paddock....m

A billion dollars, right?

 

[teslacoils]

I’ve always wondered what the law actually says about footpaths and spraying. Obviously any decent operator would stop and allow the walkers through but I’d say the real question is say your halfway across a field spraying and you see walkers coming across a footpath. You stop and wait but they are walking through what you e already sprayed. It’ll definitely be on their shoes and move than likely trousers if it’s a tall crop such as wheat.

It wouldn't be on the footpath though, would it? If they stray from the path, well there is nothing you can do. Iirc current advice is *not* to put signs up as you get all and sundry claiming their dog is sick.

 

[teslacoils]

A billion dollars, right?

No. They were given fair crack at it.

 

[Still Farming]

I’ve always wondered what the law actually says about footpaths and spraying. Obviously any decent operator would stop and allow the walkers through but I’d say the real question is say your halfway across a field spraying and you see walkers coming across a footpath. You stop and wait but they are walking through what you e already sprayed. It’ll definitely be on their shoes and move than likely trousers if it’s a tall crop such as wheat.

Just put signs up possibly.
They just spray around here with footpaths and dogs and people in there with it and no signs?
Anyone actually taken any farmer to Court with this occurrence or just Council workers with their jobs applying total weed killers ?

 

[Rue]

I’m not saying this hasn’t happened but you joined the forum on Saturday so there’ll be some scepticism about your claim.

Chemicals cost thousands of pounds so wasting them isn’t financially viable. Likewise a boom overhanging onto a road doesn’t sound correct to me. It could of hit a car so any operator driving a sprayer has training. The training is specially for things like you describe as well as making sure when mixing chemicals it’s done correctly so not to harm the crop or waste money.

I’d go and have a word with the farmer directly but without video evidence I don’t think you have a case.

We do have Video evidence. Yes I joined on Saturday evening. I'm new here.

 

[Jim75]

Quite happy to be wrong but from a previous life as a contractor I’ve had a full belly of idiots who like to make trouble despite doing things by the book. Had one family claim they’d become ill from drift, over 100m down a cliff face and into their house. Another who just didn’t like sprayers threatened me with all sorts and liked to dance about the hedge waiting on me first thing or late at night at first sight of the sprayer in the yard. Told me to wait for a west wind as it would be going towards his garden despite never having had any problems with drift etc, that would’ve been approx 3 weeks later.
Another who got all jumpy about killing his apple trees and contaminating his house as he could smell it and I was definitely going to kill his trees............never did but because he was an ex Gp he knew best.
Seems the TFF judge jury and executioner has acted with one side of the story. Like I say happy to be wrong but one persons version of events and idea of drift is different to anothers. There’s also some right arsehole sprayer operators who like to push the boundaries and give the rest a bad name.

 

[bobk]

I'm sure there are people like that, idiots everywhere who love to inhale and moan. We're used to hearing Tractors so thought nothing of it until we felt the mist and saw the Sprayer. We ran indoors and stayed there for a while. That is difficult when the house is full of stuff and dusty from renovation. We were stood in our own garden when it happened.

Do you know which fungicide was sprayed ? you seem very knowledgeable.

 

[Rue]

Quite happy to be wrong but from a previous life as a contractor I’ve had a full belly of idiots who like to make trouble despite doing things by the book. Had one family claim they’d become ill from drift, over 100m down a cliff face and into their house. Another who just didn’t like sprayers threatened me with all sorts and liked to dance about the hedge waiting on me first thing or late at night at first sight of the sprayer in the yard. Told me to wait for a west wind as it would be going towards his garden despite never having had any problems with drift etc, that would’ve been approx 3 weeks later.
Another who got all jumpy about killing his apple trees and contaminating his house as he could smell it and I was definitely going to kill his trees............never did but because he was an ex Gp he knew best.
Seems the TFF judge jury and executioner has acted with one side of the story. Like I say happy to be wrong but one persons version of events and idea of drift is different to anothers. There’s also some right arsehole sprayer operators who like to push the boundaries and give the rest a bad name.

I'm here to learn.
I'm here because I don't want to cause trouble for our local farmers. I have a great respect for the farming community.
There are some right a-holes out there, you're right. We're business owners and we've met all sorts of people. Some with nothing better to do in life.
There's been so many informative and kind messages on here, from sprayers, which has restored my faith that not everyone is like the Sprayer we've encountered.
Like most things in life, you sometimes feel like you're a ''hassle'' if you ask questions but had we not had this experience or any ill effects, I would not be here asking. Trying to educate myself and find peace of mind. Maybe what happened to us was a normal reaction to getting drift up our noses. But sounds like this isn't meant to happen in the first place.

Much respect to farmers though. We're all just doing our jobs at the end of the day and trying to live aside one another. It's all good when everyone is considerate.

 

[ollie989898]

Fudge it.

 

[SilliamWhale]

@Rue - you'll be ok. Don't worry about it.

 

[Will 1594]

Can't please everyone. I had a hedge in a village needed tidying up. Decided to pay champion hedgelayer to do it properly. Well, four neighbours, four opinions. One wanted me to leave a bit tall so they could decorate it for Christmas. What a palaver. Birds, too extreme, not enough etc.

It's houses now.

It 12 council house behind one field so put 8 m margin in for all the reasons discussed
Fast forward 5 years 7 gardens extended 2 fences up wood plié scrap motorbikes etc etc
So after harvest last year all where asked to tidy it up and explanation why strip there . Forklift and grab went to field and those where asked if wanted it clearing for free or put in garden . All complied , now plough it to as close as plough will go and just spray it carefully when most have gone to work or not got up

 

[Rue]

It 12 council house behind one field so put 8 m margin in for all the reasons discussed
Fast forward 5 years 7 gardens extended 2 fences up wood plié scrap motorbikes etc etc
So after harvest last year all where asked to tidy it up and explanation why strip there . Forklift and grab went to field and those where asked if wanted it clearing for free or put in garden . All complied , now plough it to as close as plough will go and just spray it carefully when most have gone to work or not got up

And rightly so, such rude behaviour on their part.

 

[DrWazzock]

Good to hear your perspective.
I've lived here in rural lincs for 17 years. I grew up in a Town in the Midlands with lots of cars and pollution yes but this Country house is on a main road so I haven't escaped that either.
The smell doesn't bother me at all, muck spreading doesn't bother me either. I'm a real farmy gal. However, the reaction I've had does. Seeing my little Toddler cough and splutter isn't fun. Maybe we're just more sensitive but it does worry me. I'm sure the sellers of this stuff tell you it's safe and doesn't harm human life but is that entirely true I wonder. Constant allergic type reactions can cause a whole host of other issues. I suppose we just have to put our faith in them and hope.

So can I ask, is this usually every Summer that the spray goes on? how many times roughly? and what is it?

It must cost you a pretty penny too.

The actual chemicals applied depend on crop type, the problem being addressed, the time of year and even then there will be several different possible chemicals to choose from so it’s difficult to say what is being applied.
Sprays tend to be applied to wheat as certain leaves emerge in order to protect them from fungi. The last leaf to emerge is the flag leaf and it’s important to spray it with a protective fungicide as it acts like a kind of solar panel to feed the ear of wheat when it subsequently emerges. The ear is also sprayed with yet another protective fungicide when it is fully emerged otherwise the grains can end up mouldy and dangerous to eat because of the fungi that might infest the grain.
Personally we spend about £10k a year on chemicals on 200 acres of various crops. It’s a cost and a job we’d rather do without but unfortunately if we are to achieve a crop sufficient to make a profit then chemicals are a necessary evil at the moment. The day we don’t need them I will be as happy as the next man.
Have you thought of putting up a sign in your hedge that says “Please keep drift out of our garden.” It might just serve as a reminder. Anyway best of luck with the organic venture and I hope your drift problems are resolved as they should be.

 

[Bogweevil]

Of course in France there is a mandatory buffer between agricultural pesticide application and residential areas of up to 20m. As far as I know there is no scientific evidence for such a buffer.

In the real world some drift on occasion is unavoidable, but if we make a habit of it we too might be buffered.

 

[warksfarmer]

This thread is a set up.

 

[ollie989898]

This thread is a set up.

Find out next week in Saturday's Guardian. Probably Monbiot himself.

 

[Slug Herder]

Hopefully spray drift won't be a common occurrence for you. Things do go wrong and obviously did. Just a thought could the sprayer have kicked up pollen? Sprays are generally safe. Binding agents can smell a bit. But nature doesn't care an awful lot with pollen. Pollen counts tend to be high after damp weather a sprayer would be similar.
As a farmer I hate the fact spray manufacturers seam to rely on us professing their products are safe. The public should understand we want them safe, effective and targeted.

 

[Rue]

This thread is a set up.

What do you mean??