Dr. Frank HallLPCAT

The Ohio State UniversityWooster, OH 44691

Dr. Frank HallLPCAT

The Ohio State UniversityWooster, OH 44691

“Revealing Environmental Stewarship Opportunities: A Grower Self-Assessment of

Drift Mitigation”

“Revealing Environmental Stewarship Opportunities: A Grower Self-Assessment of

Drift Mitigation”

* North American Pesticide Applicator Certification & Safety Education WorkshopPortland, ME August, 2007

Spray Drift representsEXPOSURE HAZARD

to non-targets

Spray Drift representsEXPOSURE HAZARD

to non-targets Water Humans - urban sprawl and farm workers Environment Endangered species Other crops - herbicides and FQPA risk cup

Water Humans - urban sprawl and farm workers Environment Endangered species Other crops - herbicides and FQPA risk cup

PILOT --- What is it???PILOT --- What is it???

Farmer self-assessment of risks of pesticide

drift - responses via surveys

Ground-truthing exercise to identify what he is

doing --- re - drift mitigation

Intended to be a model system of revealing

grower tactics

Farmer self-assessment of risks of pesticide

drift - responses via surveys

Ground-truthing exercise to identify what he is

doing --- re - drift mitigation

Intended to be a model system of revealing

grower tactics

MethodsMethods

Call for volunteers

48 question coded survey

Individual reports to participants (89)

Local workshops to follow - 2007

State multivariate analysis (200+)

Call for volunteers

48 question coded survey

Individual reports to participants (89)

Local workshops to follow - 2007

State multivariate analysis (200+)

Self-Assessment SurveysSelf-Assessment Surveys

Initial Ohio dataset

Expanded to other states

Use of recertification process

Custom applicators - Growmark

Initial Ohio dataset

Expanded to other states

Use of recertification process

Custom applicators - Growmark

Survey Questions?Survey Questions?

Will they tell us? Bias?

How representative is the data? Value = ?

Do we have enough responses?

OH vs. other states

Is it useful to assess benefits / failures of our

education programs?

Will they tell us? Bias?

How representative is the data? Value = ?

Do we have enough responses?

OH vs. other states

Is it useful to assess benefits / failures of our

education programs?

Key ResultsKey Results

72% have farm maps but do not use them to identify sensitive areas

84% do not have written / posted Plan of Action for drift mitigation

72% have farm maps but do not use them to identify sensitive areas

84% do not have written / posted Plan of Action for drift mitigation

DM Application StrategiesDM Application Strategies

94% calibrated at least once / year

Tactics used: low drift nozzles, adjuvants, lower psi and ground speeds, etc

Boom - average of 5.2 different tactics

AirBlast - average of 6.5 different tactics

94% calibrated at least once / year

Tactics used: low drift nozzles, adjuvants, lower psi and ground speeds, etc

Boom - average of 5.2 different tactics

AirBlast - average of 6.5 different tactics

* Multiple tactics – Yes!

Most view moving foliage plus one other tactic; weather station, few on-board devices, radio, cell phone, etc

Lack standard on-board devices

Most view moving foliage plus one other tactic; weather station, few on-board devices, radio, cell phone, etc

Lack standard on-board devices

Assessment of weather conditionsAssessment of weather conditions

% Tree % Row

Yes 81 48

No 9 36

Yes 32 28

No 68 72

Yes 27 28

No 59 60

36 4Gifts, food, plowing, mowing

On IPM/BMP

Had drift complaints

Communications with neighbors

Extra actions with neighbors

Sensitive area identification

Modify edge practices

Windbreaks / neighbor communications

But little support for conservation set-asides

Sensitive area identification

Modify edge practices

Windbreaks / neighbor communications

But little support for conservation set-asides

Willingness to do more in Drift MitigationWillingness to do more in Drift Mitigation

Barriers to doing more in drift mitigation were:

Barriers to doing more in drift mitigation were:

Costs Time and labor Risks Help available?

Costs Time and labor Risks Help available?

Write-ins on concerns about the future of their farms

Write-ins on concerns about the future of their farms

Costs / profits 30%

Regulations 20%

Urban encroachment 10%

Labor

Resistance

Time

Costs / profits 30%

Regulations 20%

Urban encroachment 10%

Labor

Resistance

Time

Our workshops feature identification of opportunities

Our workshops feature identification of opportunities

Grower ideas on stewardship

Coalition building

Marketing incentives

and

Specific PILOT products

Grower ideas on stewardship

Coalition building

Marketing incentives

and

Specific PILOT products

OH Stewardship WorkshopsOH Stewardship Workshops

Maps + Awareness zones

Stewardship POA - How to start

Neighbor communication policy

Maps + Awareness zones

Stewardship POA - How to start

Neighbor communication policy

11

22BufferBuffer

WindSpeedWindSpeed

Meet them: BBQ / Ice Cream Socials Introduce them to your farm and vision

IPMTraps / ScoutingReduced risk

Drift Mitigation POA

Stewardship Philosophy

* * * SHARE * * *

Meet them: BBQ / Ice Cream Socials Introduce them to your farm and vision

IPMTraps / ScoutingReduced risk

Drift Mitigation POA

Stewardship Philosophy

* * * SHARE * * *

Neighbor Communication PoliciesNeighbor Communication Policies

ToursTours UnsprayedUnsprayed

Key Points from PilotKey Points from Pilot

Incentives and cost-share

POA for awareness zones

Site-specific weather assessments

Willingness Barriers

Neighbor communication

Grower concerns

Incentives and cost-share

POA for awareness zones

Site-specific weather assessments

Willingness Barriers

Neighbor communication

Grower concerns

ConclusionsConclusions

Must make it easy to do what’s right Economic incentives

Insurance Tax credits Market driven

Partnership coalitions Stewardship demonstration leaders

Education Cost-share

Must make it easy to do what’s right Economic incentives

Insurance Tax credits Market driven

Partnership coalitions Stewardship demonstration leaders

Education Cost-share

Reveal grower status Document “opportunities” Assist evaluation of current programs Engage grower leadership Identify educational needs

Know your audience

Reveal grower status Document “opportunities” Assist evaluation of current programs Engage grower leadership Identify educational needs

Know your audience

Can a survey help safety education?Can a survey help safety education?

Measuring ProgressMeasuring Progress

GOALSGOALS

Here ---Here ---

and you want to go here?and you want to go here?

Wider scope of crop Wider scope of crop protection action for protection action for

each site on farmeach site on farm

SPRAY DRIFT MITIGATION IN RELATION TO OTHER PROGRAMS

SPRAY DRIFT MITIGATION IN RELATION TO OTHER PROGRAMS

POLICIESPOLICIES PROGRAMPROGRAM ACTIVITIESACTIVITIES

FARMFARMManagementManagement

EnvironmentalEnvironmentalResourceResourcePlanningPlanning

Total farm actions for Total farm actions for long-range economic long-range economic

and environmentaland environmentalplanning/strategyplanning/strategy

evolutionevolution

Long-rangeLong-rangePlanningPlanning

IPM ICMIPM ICMPesticidePesticideSelection and Selection and

ReductionReduction

Drift MitigationDrift MitigationPILOTPILOT

Specific actionsSpecific actionsHigh risk sitesHigh risk sites

GrowerGrowerEmpowermentEmpowerment

““Farmers should not only produce Farmers should not only produce food but also landscapes”food but also landscapes”

Franz Fischler, (EC Commissioner for Agriculture 1999-2004)

Future Actions?Future Actions?

More than drift

Stewardship

KISS = a beginning

Incentives Attention

More than drift

Stewardship

KISS = a beginning

Incentives Attention

Help Momentum

Demos Key to

engaging leaders Partners Multi-state

coalitions

Help Momentum

Demos Key to

engaging leaders Partners Multi-state

coalitions

“Grower Empowerment”

Incentives

Constraints to Adoption of ChangeConstraints to Adoption of Change

Federal program without flexibility Language: scientist vs. farmer Measures of success Identification of goals Risk aversion Perception of costs - Must see a benefit!!

Federal program without flexibility Language: scientist vs. farmer Measures of success Identification of goals Risk aversion Perception of costs - Must see a benefit!!

Lessons Learned from “complex” programs and new technologies

Lessons Learned from “complex” programs and new technologies

Must ID costs and benefits Know user behavior and rationale Clarity in approach to change Build flexibility Know linkage opportunities Multi-disciplinary approaches filled with

bureaucracy and time

Must ID costs and benefits Know user behavior and rationale Clarity in approach to change Build flexibility Know linkage opportunities Multi-disciplinary approaches filled with

bureaucracy and time

VisionVision

Decisions

DecisionsEvaluate

Evaluate

$$$$ GoalsGoalsPassion

Passion

GrowthGrowth

Environmental HealthEnvironmental Health

Just as with IPM - - -

Take advantage of current trendsFood safety - E. coli

Track food supply sources

SYSCO Now require environ. stewardship actions

Wal-mart -- To follow ?

Others ?

Just as with IPM - - -

Take advantage of current trendsFood safety - E. coli

Track food supply sources

SYSCO Now require environ. stewardship actions

Wal-mart -- To follow ?

Others ?

Food Security Environmental StewardshipFood Security Environmental Stewardship

Local

Fresh

Family Farm

Local

Fresh

Family Farm

Are you taking advantage?

Let’s get together!