Making the most of good conditions for spraying can help to improve productivity and efficacy. The ability to access good forecast information is critical for planning spraying operations and to help predict when changes are likely to occur. Once the operator is in the paddock, access to weather data at the site of application also improves the decision-making process.

To fully plan spraying operations requires knowledge of what products are likely to be applied, the label requirements for downwind buffers or no-spray zones, and what sensitive areas may exist adjacent to the areas to be sprayed and within the local catchment area. Having detailed farm maps for your enterprise, and copies of what your neighbours have planted, or are planning to plant, is essential for determining how and when to spray each of the paddocks at your enterprise.

Having knowledge of likely wind direction and wind speed will help the spray applicator plan which paddocks are likely to be able to be sprayed at different times throughout the day or week. Many forecasting services can offer reasonably accurate information about wind speed and direction up to seven to eight days in advance, with the first three days of that period generally being the most accurate. Even when a forecast is provided for several days, it should still be checked for updates on a daily basis.

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In key cotton growing regions, users can enter paddock details of what crops are growing at any point in time. This allows other operators to be able to see what crops are downwind of their application. For more information Satacrop