Sprayers – Keep it clean and under cover

Dirty sprayers left out in the rain may result in pesticides reaching water, claims a leading pesticide application researcher.

Research at Harper Adams has shown that spray deposits can build up quickly, especially where a fine spray quality is used.

"Even where the sprayer exterior is washed down regularly spray deposits can build up. If rain falls on a sprayer stood outside, deposits are then washed off and can reach drains and water courses," explains Simon Cooper, Application Expert at Harper Adams University College.

"In our research, just one hours spraying with a fine spray resulted in 10g of pesticide on the outside of the sprayer. If this was to get into water it would be enough to put 100 billion litres of water above the EU drinking water standard," warns Simon Cooper.

"This can easily be avoided with a little common sense," says Steve Higginbotham, Environmental Stewardship Manager at Bayer CropScience, who recommends three key steps:

• Ensure you use the right spray quality for the job in hand – wherever practical use a medium-coarse spray.

• Wash down the sprayer exterior at the end of each day before leaving the field.

• Park the sprayer under cover when it is not in use.