Spray drift causes ‘tens of millions’ in damage to Riverina farms

Summer crops have had a perfect season with heat, but spray drift from one chemical has caused hefty damage to cotton, tomatoes and grape crops.

Producers in southern NSW are calling for action after spray drift has caused damage worth tens of millions to summer crops.

A meeting at Deniliquin on Wednesday where about 40 people attended heard of damage to cotton, tomatoes and grapes from spray drift of 2,4-D, a commonly used herbicide, around the Deniliquin and Finley areas.

Riverina Agromomic agronomist Pat McGuinness from Hillston, NSW, said it was the worst damage he’d seen to cotton.

“I’ve been walking cotton fields in southern NSW for near to 30 years and I have never seen phenoxy damage as widespread as I have this year,” Mr McGuinness said.

“Farm incomes will be heavily affected due to this damage.

“There is more than one way to control burrs or melons and this (spray drift damage) has to stop.”

Spray damage from 2,4-D could have caused tens of millions of dollars damage this year to cotton crops. Here, it is seen as curled leaves which will affect yields.

Mr McGuinness said 2,4-D was used because it was the cheapest herbicide. Issues this year had been exacerbated by hot weather, which had increased the chances of volatilization and spray drift.

He said some of the options discussed at the meeting included a permit system to use 2,4-D, similar to that for burning stubbles, or a register from resellers who could then track who was using chemicals.

“No one is talking about an outright ban, but more education is definitely needed,” Mr McGuinness said.

“I would say most operators are doing the right thing, but spray damage can happen from something as simple as someone spraying a channel bank for burrs with a quad bike.

“It is probably not even on the radar of those using it but they need to understand their combined actions are causing millions, if not tens of millions in damage.”

A healthy cotton crop with no damage from spray drift.

He said affected crops could have lost anything from two to four bales a hectare, where average yields are 11-12 bales a hectare, with damage varying from crinkly leaves to “big economic losses”.

Mr McGuinness has travelled 10,000km in his work over the past month, and said the damage was widespread, from Narromine, to Hillston, Hay and into the Deniliquin and Finley areas.

Deniliquin farmer Paul Park has 500ha of cotton and said his whole crop “has had a touch up” with spray damage. This meant yield losses of 10-40 per cent.

Damage from 2,4-D in a cotton crop grown by the Park family near Deniliquin, NSW. The spray drift has come in from the west and affected 70 per cent of the plants in the first row and the tops of the rest of the crop, Paul Park said.

He attended the Deniliquin meeting and came away frustrated.

“There is no one who we can go to, and get change,” Mr Park said.

“We are seriously wondering how we can continue to grow cotton when you cop damage like this.”

Ella Park from Deniliquin inspects some of the spray drift damage caused by 2,4-D to their cotton crop, where yield losses of up to 40 per cent have been seen.

Mr Park said education was needed when summer spraying programs were undertaken, and agronomists needed to be more vigilant when writing recommendations for weed control, stressing the implications for spray drift on non-target crops.

“It’s not our job to knock on doors to find out whether people have sprayed but who else is,” he said.

“It’s got to the stage where we have to think about cotton’s place in our business.”

Cotton Australia has been contacted for comment.