Need to Know
Bee cautious with extra sprays
Spray application practices and pesticide approvals have adapted to the recent ban on neonicotinoid seed dressings, but best practice is required to avoid negative effects from consequent increased use of products such as pyrethroids. In September and October, when most of these sprays are applied, there are very few bees around, apart from a few…
Emergency procedures
No matter how careful you are there is always a risk something could go wrong –accidents happen, so it’s vital farms and operators prepare to prevent a spill becoming a calamity. Most accidents are preventable, but that doesn’t mean they do not happen. Even with good organisation and planning the very nature of handling, storing…
App gives advice on applications
A new App is designed to help operators to select the most appropriate techniques for crops, conditions and situations on the go. Developed by Syngenta, Spray Assist links to live local weather data to analyse the factors such as including wind, rain or frost, which influence accurate application and potential risk of spray drift. The…
Autumn Avadex application advice
In the battle against blackgrass Avadex is playing an increasingly important role, with analysis of trials showing its inclusion increases the percentage control by 16.8% across a wide range of programmes. “For optimum results, however, Avadex 15G granules must be are applied evenly and accurately,” stresses Kuldip Mudhar, from Gowan Crop Protection. It’s also important…
Field specific stewardship advice
An updated online service delivers detailed, field specific stewardship advice on when it’s safe to apply quinmerac and metazachlor. Developed for BASF by Agrimetrics, recently updated software on the wHen2gO tool combines data from, Defra, the Met Office and the Environment Agency to calculate the risk of leaching when applying products containing metazachlor and quinmerac.…
Preparation boosts pre-em performance – Part II
In the second exclusive EIO application advice video, Syngenta application specialist Scott Cockburn, explains the best techniques to employ when applying pre-emergence herbicides. https://vimeo.com/294540966 With increased resistance to post emergence herbicides, there’s never been a more important time to ensure you get your pre-emergence application correct. Before starting any spray regime, it’s a good idea…
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Fine tuning to help beat blackgrass
Leading spray application specialist, Tom Robinson, combines his own expert advice with guidance from BASF, Bayer, Monsanto and Syngenta to discover how to fine-tune autumn applications to get the best control from their herbicides. Grass weed control in the autumn has become increasingly difficult in recent years, due in no small part to increased herbicide…
Get the best from autumn applications – Part I
In the first of a series of exclusive EIO application advice videos Syngenta application specialist, Scott Cockburn, explains how to get the most effective weed control when spraying off stale seedbeds prior to drilling. https://vimeo.com/290487759 In the face of increasing resistance to selective products, making the best use of stale seedbeds to control weeds with…
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Knapsack Know-How
Get a handle on knapsacks Just as for larger applicators, when using hand held sprayers, correct applicator selection and maintenance, along with operator training are all crucial to ensure applications are undertaken efficiently and legally. Operator training All operators must have achieved an appropriate certificate of competence in the use of pesticides. For those using…
Top tips to pass NSTS test first time
Pesticide application equipment working on UK farms must now be checked by the National Sprayer Testing Scheme. The good news is nearly half of the sprayers inspected exhibit no faults, but that still leaves the other half requiring repairs before they receive a certificate. It is now a legal requirement that all boom sprayers over…
Best practice – mixing and filling
The following video is provided thanks to Syngenta. https://vimeo.com/261147184 Do you know? One foil seal contains enough pesticide to raise residue levels above the 0.1ppb standard along 30km of a stream. How to fill a sprayer, safely, efficiently and effectively The best possible timing of an application is the single most important way to improve…
Focus on buffer zones – understanding LERAP
Compiled and checked by experts, this article on buffer zones, provides advice and explanations to help operators protect water, insects and wildlife and keep on the right side of the law. This definitive guide, first printed in Pro Operator, has been updated exclusively for EiO members. An essential information resource, it will be quickly updated…
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