Cotton growers in New South Wales have reported the first signs of off-target spray drift damage as concerns increase that there may be a nightmare season ahead, with ongoing wet weather resulting in an explosion of weeds.

In a normal season, spray drift reports begin to filter through in December and January however farmers are already facing an uphill battle to control weeds following an excellent winter crop and the resulting weeds in fallow, while emerging cotton crops are also facing weed exposure because of the conditions.

Cotton Australia (CA) Regional Manager for northern New South Wales Bob Ford said he has already heard of spray drift damage near Collarenebri, Narrabri and Rowena and Walgett.

“Thankfully the damage isn’t significant yet, however growers are reporting an unusually high weed issue in fields that are fallow after good winter crops and also in the emerging cotton crops.”

Lower Namoi cotton grower Robert Everleigh said there’s a lot of fallow country which needs weed control now. “There’s more rain on the way and with the mad pre-Christmas rush coming around it’s the perfect storm for off target spray drift to occur. Everyone needs to be reminded to obey the basic rules.”

Mr Ford said best practice spraying may avoid many millions of dollars in damage. “Responsible spraying strategies are part of a modern farming system, but everyone needs to follow instructions on the label, consider their neighbours, spray only when conditions are right and use best practice techniques.”

The 2022-23 season saw one of the worst years on record for spray drift with some farmers suffering millions of dollars’ worth of lost production. Farmers in the Macintyre and Balonne regions alone, lost tens of millions in production due to spray drift but the losses were felt far and wide with moderate to severe spray drift incidents on the Darling Downs, Mungindi, Gwydir, Lower Namoi, Walgett and the Macquarie Valley.

CA General Manager Michael Murray said while the 2023-24 season saw relatively few reports of spray drift damage, we remain very concerned about this season, with growers already reporting damage.

“Cotton is particularly sensitive to spray drift from Group 4 herbicides (phenoxy herbicides including 2,4-D) and any adverse incidents have a financial impact on our growers, which is why Cotton Australia continues to train, educate and communicate regularly on what is expected.

“We also ask all our farmers to map their activities on SataCrop, a mapping tool informing all stakeholders of the location of potentially sensitive crops and use WAND towers, a powerful tool that can quickly forecast and detect hazardous conditions and inversions, enabling growers and spray contractors to spray according to the best conditions and in compliance with label requirements.”

CA policy officer for Research and Development and Stewardship Doug McCollum said the real risks start now. In Queensland most winter crops are off while further south they are still going. Weeds in fallow are inevitable, and growers will want to control weeds in readiness for next season’s winter crops.

“Potentially any farmer can create a risk for any other farmer if they are not applying herbicides correctly at this time of the year. Spray drift management strategies reduce the risk of unintended impacts to neighbours and the environment and ensure more herbicide lands where it should, to maximise weed control.”

“When developing a spray plan, checking the weather forecast and selecting the most appropriate nozzles before you start spraying are all vital. Conversations with your neighbours about the timing of your spray operations are also encouraged.”

The Queensland Department of Primary Industries (DPI) assesses complaints of alleged chemical spray drift and may consider investigating the misuse of agricultural chemicals in high-risk incidents of spray drift, in catchments or on individual properties, depending on the risks. The DPI may also be out in the regions monitoring mandatory pesticide record keeping requirements.

Likewise in NSW, the Environment Protection Agency has responsibility for compliance and enforcement and has ensured more boots on the ground in growing areas and an increased visibility of its inspectors.

“This is a wake-up call to everyone in agriculture, not just cotton, grain and rice growers, everyone can be impacted in some way,” Mr McCollum said.

To sign up for WAND visit https://www.goannaag.com/wand-network

For Satacrop visit: https://satacrop.com.au/

For advice from the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) the body responsible for the spray drift regulatory approach, visit: https://apvma.gov.au/node/10796