Urbana, Illinois, USA
June 20, 2011
University of Illinois Plant Clinic diagnosticians have welcomed a larger-than-normal number of injured plants this season. Michelle Wiesbrook, U of I Extension specialist in pesticide safety education, said the symptoms she has seen this season can be caused by a number of factors, including chemical injury. She offers a few tips to avoid and handle these injuries to plants.
Injury Prevention
"Prevention of unwanted pesticide injury to your plants is important," Wiesbrook said. "The reality is that pesticide applications are going to happen across Illinois this summer. Producers, landscapers and others have crops, lawns and other investments to protect from weeds, insects and diseases."
She encourages homeowners and growers of sensitive crops to build good relations with neighbors and ask them for advance notice when they spray.
"By law and depending on the type of application, they may not be required to give you notice," she said. "But most are willing to provide this information if asked. If you are concerned about the health of your plants or that of your family, share your concerns. If you know 'what' will be sprayed 'when,' you can plan accordingly by covering your garden with old blankets, making sure the windows are shut, or keeping the kids out of the yard during that time."
Most applicators do everything possible to prevent off-target movement of pesticides. However, wind gusts and sudden changes in wind direction can occur. Talking with your neighbors is the first step toward preventing drift, she said.
"Please do not automatically file a complaint with the Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDA) when you see the sprayer nearby," Wiesbrook said. "Not surprisingly, that is bad for good neighbor relations. You will have your neighbor's attention, but is that the type of attention you are looking for? Growers don't want their pesticide products to land on your plants any more than you do."
Additionally, she encourages commercial growers with particularly sensitive crops or managers of natural areas that must be protected from pesticide drift to let neighboring applicators know about it. These sites can be registered at www.Driftwatch.org, an online registry designed to help pesticide applicators, specialty crop growers and stewards of at-risk habitats communicate more effectively to protect pesticide-sensitive areas. Sensitive crop areas registered on this site include beehives, certified organic crops, fruits, grapes, nursery crops, pumpkins, melons, tomatoes and vegetables.
What to do if you suspect spray drift
If you suspect spray drift, contact your neighbor to discuss injury symptoms and possible causes, she said. Consider when the symptoms first appeared and when the application was made. What pesticide was applied? Is there a pattern to the injury? Are many species showing symptoms, or is it only one plant in a row of similar plants? What have the weather conditions been, and what were they like at the time of application? Is the applicator willing to pay for damages or replace dead plants? It is often faster, easier and cheaper to settle these disputes without legal involvement.
"Compare what you are seeing to other plants," Wiesbrook said. "What does herbicide injury look like on landscape plants?"
Check out examples of herbicide injury at http://urbanext.illinois.edu/hortanswers/. Search by problem and then type in "herbicide." You can even use your smartphone to view these photos, she added. The photos are also available in a pocket-sized, spiral-bound flip book for $10. To purchase, call the U of I Crop Sciences Department at 217-333-4424.
Another option is to send affected plant samples to the U of I Plant Clinic. For more information, go to http://web.extension.illinois.edu/plantclinic/. Include as much relevant information as possible. Keep in mind that the Plant Clinic does not perform pesticide residue tests. Without such tests, the cause of a symptom cannot be attributed to pesticide drift with 100 percent certainty. However, it is possible for specialists to rule out other possible causes and establish whether the likely cause is drift.
"If you choose to file a complaint with IDA, time is of the essence," Wiesbrook said.
The pesticide drift complaint process begins by calling IDA's Bureau of Environmental Programs at 800-641-3934 (voice and TDD) or 217-785-2427 for a complaint form. Complaint forms must be received by IDA within 30 days of the incident or within 30 days of when the damage was first noticed. Complaints filed after that will be kept on record, but no administrative action can be taken.
The complaint process
Once a complaint is filed with the department, a field inspector is assigned to the case, she said. In most cases, the inspector will interview the complainant and inspect the site. Various types of samples, such as plants, water or soil, may be collected for analysis at an approved laboratory. The inspector may also interview applicators in the area, examine pesticide records and collect weather data in an attempt to determine the nature and cause of the damage. The field investigator will then submit a report for review.
Both parties will receive written notification if a violation is discovered and enforcement action will be taken. Penalties range from advisory or warning letters to monetary penalties of $750 to $10,000, depending on the type and severity of the violation. Penalties are determined through a point system defined in the Illinois Pesticide Act.
"Even if a violation of the Illinois Pesticide Act cannot be substantiated, both the complainant and the alleged violator will be notified in writing of the complaint's status," she said. "Remember, the IDA's role in pesticide misuse incidents is limited to determining whether a violation has occurred. IDA cannot help complainants recover damages."
Will affected plants die?
That is the million-dollar question, she said. The answer: it depends. The degree to which the plant is affected depends on several factors, including the type and amount of chemical applied, the time of year, the growth stage of the plant, overall health of the plant, etc. The healthier the plant is, the more likely it is to survive.
For more drift resources, check out the U of I Pesticide Safety Education website at: www.pesticidesafety.uiuc.edu.
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