Despite a better autumn for applying herbicides to cereals and oilseeds, farmers need to check that their field drains are not flowing before spraying to minimise the risk of pesticides reaching water from the field, urges The Voluntary Initiative (VI).

Last autumn, one of the wettest for many years, saw a considerable movement of key crop protection products through field drains to surface water. Therefore, the VI is urging the industry to improve its performance this autumn.

“Quite simply, if soils are saturated and drains are running, then do NOT apply pesticides,” says Patrick Goldsworthy, Voluntary Initiative Manager.

“The longer the gap between application and any rain falling, the less the chance of pesticides being washed through the soil and into drains. And if heavy rain is expected in the next 48 hours then delay application until after the rain and drains have stopped flowing.”

There are critical crop protection operations needed at this time of year, especially weed and disease control in winter oilseed rape. Levels of metaldehyde and oilseed rape herbicides in water exceeded drinking water limit last autumn, winter and spring, leading to high costs for water companies. Maintaining the availability of pesticide products for future years requires a concerted effort by farmers to observe stewardship guidance to minimise autumn/winter movement to surface waters.

Ensuring pesticides are not applied to saturated soils and delaying application where heavy rain is forecast is one of a number of H2OK? Top Tips featured in a new A5 card published by the VI and the Crop Protection Association in association with Catchment Sensitive Farming and the Campaign for the Farmed Environment. The Top Tips can be found here: http://www.voluntaryinitiative.org.uk/_Attachments/Resources/1611_S4.pdf