Pesticide Sprayer Calibration Workshop Set for Aug. 15 in Oswego County

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A program to help farmers use the correct amount of pesticides on their crops is coming up Aug. 15 in Granby.

The Oswego County Growers Sprayer Calibration Meeting will be from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Sorbello & Sons Packing House, 630 County Route 8, Granby. Pre-registration is required by Aug. 13. Send in a registration form to Cooperative Extension of Oswego County in Mexico or call in a registration at 963-7286.

According to Cooperative Extension, inaccurate pesticide application rates, spray patterns and droplet size can lead to pesticide runoff, reducing the effectiveness of the pesticide and raising crop input costs. A recent study in Nebraska revealed that two-thirds of the applicators were applying pesticides improperly (application rate errors greater than 5 percent).

A similar study conducted in North Dakota indicated that 60 percent of tested sprayers had calibration errors greater than 10 percent. Although inaccurate tank mixing causes some of these errors, a majority of the problems result from improper spray equipment calibration and worn nozzles.

Runoff of pesticides also can be harmful to the environment. Agriculture is under intense economic and environmental pressure today. The high cost of pesticides and the need to protect the environment are incentives for applicators to do their very best in handling and applying pesticides.

This meeting will provide producers with information to learn how to calibrate sprayers in order to apply the necessary amount of pesticide where they want without undue harm to the environment.