FARMERS nationally will now be able to participate in the Spray Drift Management Tool (SDMT) program, which has initially been run as a pilot project in NSW.
Grain Producers Australia has got an extension of the pilot permit issued by the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) to include grain growers nationally.
The SDMT has been designed as a practical tool to allow farmers to manage label information in conjunction with the tool to refine the required buffer zones with the end goal of cutting down damaging cases of spray drift.
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Farmers will potentially be able to reduce spray drift buffer zones, getting better application over their targeted crops by being able to demonstrate the use of drift reduction technologies, such as optimum droplet size and time of application.
Rather than have to calculate individual methods on individual products the SDMT will allow growers to reduce potentially over 30 pages of current pesticide label information to a simple and easy to use tool, creating an alternative to increasing complicated label instructions.
GPA research and development spokesperson and Victorian grain producer, Andrew Weidemann, said the SDMT was about streamlining processes in regards to providing practical information that led to less incidents of spray drift.
"We encourage all growers to take advantage of the opportunity to use this tool; especially given the recent focus on spray drift, and the need to ensure we meet best-practice application standards to maintain community trust and access to these products," he said.
The NSW trial was a hit with growers.
Following the pilot permit's expiry in July 2022, GPA surveyed users with 90 per cent indicating they were 'likely' or 'very likely' to use the tool in future, if the APVMA permit was extended.
High profile herbicides linked to drift incidents, such as 2,4-D, are included under the new APVMA permit.
Development of the SDMT resulted from outcomes of an APVMA spray drift review which began in 2010, with broad industry input through the National Working Party for Pesticide Applications.