Herbicide spray drift from ground and aerial applications: Implications for potential pollinator foraging sources

• Published in: Scientific reports Vol. 12; no. 1; pp. 18017 - 15
• Main Authors: Butts, Thomas R., Fritz, Bradley K., Kouame, K. Badou-Jeremie, Norsworthy, Jason K., Barber, L. Tom, Ross, W. Jeremy, Lorenz, Gus M., Thrash, Benjamin C., Bateman, Nick R., Adamczyk, John J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 26.10.2022; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 631/449/2679/2681; 704/172/4081; Agricultural production; Agriculture; Computer simulation; Crop dusting; Drift; Entomology; Environmental Monitoring; Environmental protection; Environmental science; Experiments; Glycine max; Herbicides; Humanities and Social Sciences; multidisciplinary; Pesticides - analysis; Plant pathology; Plant reproduction; Pollinators; Rice; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Soybeans; United States; United States Environmental Protection Agency; Wind; Wind speed; United States
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-22916-4

A field spray drift experiment using florpyrauxifen-benzyl was conducted to measure drift from commercial ground and aerial applications, evaluate soybean [ Glycine max (L.) Merr.] impacts, and compare to United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) drift models. Collected field data were consistent with US EPA model predictions. Generally, with both systems applying a Coarse spray in a 13-kph average wind speed, the aerial application had a 5.0- to 8.6-fold increase in drift compared to the ground application, and subsequently, a 1.7- to 3.6-fold increase in downwind soybean injury. Soybean reproductive structures were severely reduced following herbicide exposure, potentially negatively impacting pollinator foraging sources. Approximately a 25% reduction of reproductive structures up to 30.5-m downwind and nearly a 100% reduction at 61-m downwind were observed for ground and aerial applications, respectively. Aerial applications would require three to five swath width adjustments upwind to reduce drift potential similar to ground applications.