Spray drift — why it happens, the damage it does, and how much it can be reduced
Droplets drifting out of the field are money lost and a risk to your neighbours. Learn how to reduce drift at the source.
About 3 min read
In this article
Spray drift is the part of the product that does not land on the target. It is a problem that hits three ways at once: the sprayer loses money, the spraying loses effect, and neighbouring fields are affected.
The main causes
- Droplets too small for the wind that day, flying too high, strong or shifting wind, and hot, dry air that makes droplets shrink as they fall.
Why drones have both advantages and risks
- The advantage is that propeller downwash helps carry droplets straight down, giving better control than spraying that disperses into the air. The risk is that the drone flies above the canopy, so droplets have further to travel down than with hand spraying.
Methods that really work
- Choose a droplet size suited to the wind: stronger wind, larger droplets.
- Lower the flight height as far as is safe.
- Stop spraying when the wind is too strong to control, which is a cheaper decision than forcing it.
- Leave a buffer strip at field edges next to other fields, houses or water sources.
- Spray so the wind blows away from sensitive areas, not towards them.
Talk to your neighbours first
- If your field borders a field of a different crop, especially one sensitive to herbicides, telling them in advance and agreeing on spraying times greatly reduces disputes. Most spray drift problems end in quarrels, not in technical data.
Keeping records
- Record the date and time, wind direction, approximate wind speed, the product used and the field sprayed. Having records helps a great deal when there is doubt about who caused damage in a neighbouring field, and it is also information you can use to improve your own work.
For contract sprayers, these records are the evidence that protects you. Important note This article explains general principles. It is not a recommendation for any specific chemical. Suitable mixing rates and timing differ by substance, crop, growth stage and field conditions. Always treat the product label as the authority, and ask our staff or an agricultural specialist before deciding.
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