COTTON farmers have been urged to protect their crops from Phenoxy 2,4-D spray drift and prevent damage to neighbouring farms.
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Cotton Australia regional manager (Southern NSW), Honi Anderson, said tools – such as CottonMap – were a great way for farmers to actively manage the risks of off-target spray drift by mapping and identifying susceptible crops like cotton.
“In the 2014-15 season, more than 3500 hectares of the total Australian cotton crop were damaged by 2,4-D,” she said.
“That equates to more than $1 million worth of cotton,” Ms Anderson said.
“It’s a significant increase on the 780 hectares damaged in the 2013-14 season and is a timely warning for all farmers to be extra vigilant this season.”
Ms Anderson said the vast majority of Australian cotton growers map their fields using CottonMap to ensure all farmers in their area can check the location of nearby cotton farms and avoid unacceptable spray drift damage. “We ask people to be mindful of weather conditions and to check CottonMap to identify nearby cotton farms before applying weed control, particularly 2,4-D.”
CottonMap is a collaboration between Cotton Australia, Nufarm Australia Limited, the Cotton Research and Development Corporation (CRDC) and the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC).
