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Find more information on Spray Drift Management or refer to Module 4: Drift Management Strategies

All applicators need access to accurate weather forecast information to plan where and when to spray.

Apart from being able to anticipate when changes are likely to occur, good weather forecast information allows the operator to consider which paddocks to spray, and when, along with the logistics of keeping operations running smoothly if you need to move to different parts of the farm to continue spraying if a change in wind direction occurs.

The purpose of taking measurements of weather parameters and keeping records during spraying activities is to demonstrate what you did. The more accurate your records are, the more likely they are to be useful for management decisions, to show you complied with label requirements and demonstrate your duty of care.

Measurements and records for management decisions

Reviewing spray jobs to establish what worked well and what didn’t is important to assess suitable application parameters and weather conditions for future spray jobs. It is a good idea to follow up on each spray job and note the level of control obtained on the spray record. Recording good results is just as important as recording bad ones. These records can be useful when evaluating potential trends in efficacy, over one or more seasons.

Measurements and records for product performance issues

Where a particular product or tank mix does not perform as expected, often off-farm assistance and expertise will be needed to evaluate the product’s performance. The first thing the agronomist or product manufacturer will look to is your application records, including how you applied the product and the conditions at the time of spraying. Without this information, it is unlikely you will gain support from the manufacturer to resolve the issue.

Measurements and records for legal purposes

If there is an incident of damage to a crop or other sensitive area that is suspected to have been caused by a spray-drift event, there may be two possible legal consequences. The first outcome may be a prosecution by the relevant authority under statute law. For a prosecution to occur, the alleged damage and the source need to be proven beyond reasonable doubt.

The second possible outcome is a civil procedure, where a party seeks compensation for damage or loss they allege another party caused. Civil actions for compensation are covered under common law, where the burden of proof required is not ‘beyond reasonable doubt’, but is based on the balance of probability. Under this definition the person making the claim only has to demonstrate that the alleged person or enterprise is likely to have caused the damage. The defendant then has to demonstrate they acted as a reasonable person and followed their duty of care.

As a spray applicator, having detailed spray records that demonstrate what you did and the weather conditions during the application can be beneficial in such circumstances.