Tree Damage From Crop Spraying

[TNTreeHugger]

Here in Virginia for a few weeks now, too.

No snow that stuck to the ground here last winter and none this winter so far, either.

Last winter was the first I can remember with no snow here.

I've noticed weather patterns here have changed also. Seems like the jet stream has moved further north of us, severe thunder storms we used to get are moving closer to KY. More spiraling of storms, where we get the tail end.
The temp fluctuations in winter are about the same, but the differences between them are growing, much warmer than usual and much colder, too.
We had a good 6" of snow a few weeks back - kept me from getting out the driveway for a week!

 

[TNTreeHugger]

My daffodils have some pretty good buds.

I got an inch of snow overnight. And before yesterday February was tracking about 3 degrees warming than average. This weekend we will get back to that!

Yeah, the old folks (me included now) around here say it always snows on the daffodils.

 

[blades]

well in my area winter isn't over for absolutly sure until the end of May. We have had storms drop 4-6 in of snow in May -granted it melts pretty quick . 14-20 in delivered in one shot end of April. March is a seesaw 50 deg f one day , 0 the next. Really nothing new as it was doing this back in the 70's maybe further back but really didn't pay attention to it then.

 

[JRM]

Memorial Day weekend is generally the target for planting any plants/flowers here. Anything before that is a gamble they'll take a hit from frost.

 

[jblnut]

After reading through more of this thread than I intended to I now know why you (@TNTreeHugger) don't like corn or soybeans. I agree with so many others in here in that herbicides are tools that need to be used properly and when used properly are as safe as can be. Unfortunately someone in your neck of the woods wasn't playing by the rules. Here in MN we have to take a course and apply for a applicators license if we want to spray anything more potent than Glyphosate. Spraying Atrazine or Dicamba is a really big deal as both can do major damage to surrounding crops and Atrazine at least can have long lasting effects in the soil if applied incorrectly.

I'm damn proud to be a farmer and take care and pride in what I do. Getting the proper certifications to do certain things is part of the deal for me. If I need an applicators license to purchase certain things we use you bet your buns I'll go get it and do things the proper way so I don't end up causing issues for neighbors. I'd be happy to share whatever processes and products we use on our farm if you'd like. The more you know about a particular topic from actual people the better opinions you can develop. Not sure how to word that one exactly but A LOT of the crap to be found online about farmers and almost everything we do seems to trend negative based on just a handful of bad apples. Not saying I condone bad apples as they're in every industry and should be dealt with properly. It's those bad apple stories that the media runs with and scares everyone with.

I'm sure this won't change your opinion on anything but I'll share anyway ..... I purchased a new Hardi sprayer last spring and put it into service in 2023. It is literally twice the size of the other one I had which allows me to cover more acres in a shorter time period. Because we only have a certain window to safely apply herbicide being able to get in the field and get as much done as quickly as possible is a big deal for me. I won't spray if it's windy or if the temp is going up rapidly. This sprayer is equipped with all the new fancy GPS/Rate Control goodies. I set the boom height where I want it and it'll flex in three places to stay there and keep the proper nozzle to ground spacing which reduces drift. The boom will automatically start/stop in 15' chunks which greatly reduces over application. That is done by the GPS hardware knowing where the implement is at all times. It has a rate controller so when I speed up or slow down the gallons/acre stay the same. This helps reduce over application and more importantly under application. Under application is what makes weeds resistant to a certain chemical and that is no good. I want them dead the first time. New price for the tractor in 2008 was $134,500 and the sprayer in 2023 was $81,500 plus another $15,000 for the GPS hardware for the tractor and sprayer. Not trying to show off with big numbers but I also have nothing to hide so let's get it all out there lol


Most chem likes to be applied in the morning after the dew is off as the plants need to be able to drink it in for it to be effective. This past spring I had to do a couple tanks in the evening as the wind calmed down and temps were headed down slowly and conditions were perfect. Load it up and lets go !! While the sprayer is filling I wash it off with a pressure washer to get any dust and dirt off so I can quickly identify a leak if one were to develop. This load it happened to backfire as the field was in my back yard and the sprayer wasn't dry yet and the dust caked on and turned into mud


I converted our old sprayer into a liquid fertilizer rig by installing Y-Drops that deliver the fertilizer directly to the area needed. This way we're not spreading it all over the top and having it possibly blast past field edges where it does no good and can affect neighboring crops.


They are super simple devices that mount on the boom with a clip and adapter fitting. In 20 minutes they're on and off. Y-Adapter cost all in was around $4k. No idea what the sprayer cost back in 1995 .....

 

[TNTreeHugger]

Memorial Day weekend is generally the target for planting any plants/flowers here. Anything before that is a gamble they'll take a hit from frost.

April 15 is our usual last freeze date but the farmers will be planting the corn & soybeans around April 1st.
Not looking forward to that at all. Last year was corn, this year will be soy bean again as in the disaster of 2022.
I talked to the farmer at his dads funeral last year (farmer with prostate cancer) and he said he will NEVER use that stuff again. Said he is paying the extra $$ for the better stuff that isn't supposed to be as volatile.

I have plastic sheeting I'm going to cover my garden spots with as soon as I hear their equipment in the field.

 

[TNTreeHugger]

After reading through more of this thread than I intended to I now know why you (@TNTreeHugger) don't like corn or soybeans. I agree with so many others in here in that herbicides are tools that need to be used properly and when used properly are as safe as can be. Unfortunately someone in your neck of the woods wasn't playing by the rules. Here in MN we have to take a course and apply for a applicators license if we want to spray anything more potent than Glyphosate. Spraying Atrazine or Dicamba is a really big deal as both can do major damage to surrounding crops and Atrazine at least can have long lasting effects in the soil if applied incorrectly.

I'm damn proud to be a farmer and take care and pride in what I do. Getting the proper certifications to do certain things is part of the deal for me. If I need an applicators license to purchase certain things we use you bet your buns I'll go get it and do things the proper way so I don't end up causing issues for neighbors. I'd be happy to share whatever processes and products we use on our farm if you'd like. The more you know about a particular topic from actual people the better opinions you can develop. Not sure how to word that one exactly but A LOT of the crap to be found online about farmers and almost everything we do seems to trend negative based on just a handful of bad apples. Not saying I condone bad apples as they're in every industry and should be dealt with properly. It's those bad apple stories that the media runs with and scares everyone with.

I'm sure this won't change your opinion on anything but I'll share anyway ..... I purchased a new Hardi sprayer last spring and put it into service in 2023. It is literally twice the size of the other one I had which allows me to cover more acres in a shorter time period. Because we only have a certain window to safely apply herbicide being able to get in the field and get as much done as quickly as possible is a big deal for me. I won't spray if it's windy or if the temp is going up rapidly. This sprayer is equipped with all the new fancy GPS/Rate Control goodies. I set the boom height where I want it and it'll flex in three places to stay there and keep the proper nozzle to ground spacing which reduces drift. The boom will automatically start/stop in 15' chunks which greatly reduces over application. That is done by the GPS hardware knowing where the implement is at all times. It has a rate controller so when I speed up or slow down the gallons/acre stay the same. This helps reduce over application and more importantly under application. Under application is what makes weeds resistant to a certain chemical and that is no good. I want them dead the first time. New price for the tractor in 2008 was $134,500 and the sprayer in 2023 was $81,500 plus another $15,000 for the GPS hardware for the tractor and sprayer. Not trying to show off with big numbers but I also have nothing to hide so let's get it all out there lol


Most chem likes to be applied in the morning after the dew is off as the plants need to be able to drink it in for it to be effective. This past spring I had to do a couple tanks in the evening as the wind calmed down and temps were headed down slowly and conditions were perfect. Load it up and lets go !! While the sprayer is filling I wash it off with a pressure washer to get any dust and dirt off so I can quickly identify a leak if one were to develop. This load it happened to backfire as the field was in my back yard and the sprayer wasn't dry yet and the dust caked on and turned into mud


I converted our old sprayer into a liquid fertilizer rig by installing Y-Drops that deliver the fertilizer directly to the area needed. This way we're not spreading it all over the top and having it possibly blast past field edges where it does no good and can affect neighboring crops.


They are super simple devices that mount on the boom with a clip and adapter fitting. In 20 minutes they're on and off. Y-Adapter cost all in was around $4k. No idea what the sprayer cost back in 1995 .....

My neighbor/farmer is by no means a "bad apple."
He learned from his father and his son is following in his footsteps.
Top notch people.
He has all the equipment you mentioned and then some.
I have no doubt they do everything by the book - and have the certificates and licenses to prove it.

It would have been easy to miss my post where I said the Dept of Ag inspector said it was happening all across the state and there were multiple factors that caused it - one being a shortage of the preferred 24-D and all that was available to the farmers was the 24-D ester. Another was the unusual weather for that time of year.

Personally, I really have no desire to rehash the event. It happened two years ago, although like I said, I am still seeing seasonal damage emerging. I want more than anything for it to go away so I can forget it ever happened.
Hopefully it was just a freak occurrence and it won't happen again. I've never seen it happen before.

On behalf of your neighbors, Thank You for being conscientious and taking precautions when using toxic chemicals.

 

[Smitty Smithsonite]

I definitely need to move where flowers bloom in February! No chance in hell of that happening in MA any time soon! In 1997, we got 2 feet of snow on April 1st.

I think I'll stack up 8 tires or so, and set them on fire. Bring on that global warming! Would save me the trouble of moving.

 

[Seachaser]

OP, not reading the entire 61 pages, but it is a common problem with herbicide drift. Row crop sprays can be dangerous or deadly on Pecan orchards. Contact your local county extension agent if this hasn’t been suggested.

 

[TNTreeHugger]

Just a quick update..
We've had marvelous long drawn out spring-like weather... reminds me of springtime in the Hudson Valley where I grew up. Cool temps and lots of rain.

No sign of my farmer in the fields yet, but I am still worried about a repeat event happening. Definitely PTSD.
The silver maples are leafing out and this is the first year since the contamination they have put out seeds - the yard is covered up with them! And I'm flagging the volunteers as I find them.

The redbuds bloomed this year, feebly, but first time in two years.
The one I am most concerned about is my beautiful buckeye. Last year it did produce some seeds, most of them were rotten, but a few looked good so I planted them. Two of the five have sprouted and I found two more the squirrels planted. The big tree opened it's leaf buds two days ago. I'm hoping the spray won't affect the blooms this year.
The pecans and walnuts are just showing signs of life.
The Paulownia and mimosa are not.
My Nandina patch is dead.

I transplanted a bunch of clove currant suckers in the fence row last week, they grow and spread quickly, hoping to block my view of the field. If I can't block the actual chemical, at least I won't have to see where it's coming from.
I transplanted some cedars and maple volunteers there last year, and they're doing well.
Oh, and I've transplanted quite a few rose of Sharon volunteers there, too.

The past two years there has been an awful lot of dead limb dieback, and dead limbs falling in the yard. I'm stacking all the dead limbs in the fence row. A Berlin Wall.
I lost half of my elderberry tree in the fence row, same with the sassafras trees.

Anyhoo,
I'm really enjoying this spring, so far, and seeing everything come to life.
Secretly, I'm praying they will go back to raising cattle instead.

 

[TNTreeHugger]

Just took some photos.
So far the buckeye is looking great. So are the sprouts and even the 4' tree I cut back to the ground last year is coming up. The big buckeye is making flower spikes.





The silver maple leaves are still looking a little funky to me and so are the seed pods, irregular shapes and discolored.

 

[TNTreeHugger]

The elderberry and trillium came back nicely and is multiplying.

 

[TNTreeHugger]

Here's the south end of the Berlin Wall.

 

[TNTreeHugger]

I'm giving (almost) everything a chance to grow and reseed.
The privet has got to go.



Sugar maple volunteers

 

[Bill G]

Glad to see all the panic was in haste

 

[Sidecarflip]

I have m y Michigan applicators license but I rarely ever spray anything but 2-4-D Buterac anyway because my only crop is alfalfa hay and it's all sold before i even cut it, every year. All in 4x5 rounds, same buyer for the last 5 years now. I do fertilize it with expired DEF I get in 350 gallon totes for less than a buck a gallon and alfalfa hay loves the stuff and so do I because I'm inherently cheap, only way to make any money today with 28 at crazy prices and 46 granulated clay coated prills are over 50 a sack now, was 18 last year. Lets thank Ukraine for that as most commercial urea comes from there.
I can get 7-10 years from a well managed field with good over seeding and fertilizer management. I say pizz on that tillage crap. I always strive to do as little as possible for the maximum crop.

 

[Del_]

Glad to see all the panic was in haste

Don't forget that she was exposed to the chemicals, too.

So is her ground water like most "agricultural" soils are.

So maybe not so much haste after all.

Drink deeply my friend.

 

[TNTreeHugger]

... and a year after we were exposed, I had to have my dog euthanized because he suddenly was looking sick and was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
Sometimes I went barefoot in the yard, too.

 

[OM617YOTA]

Glad to see all the panic was in haste

Man you are completely disconnected from reality. She had two years of watching her entire yard get sick and wondering if it was all going to die. She wasn't panicking, it wasn't in haste, and it was 100% justified.

 

[Bill G]

Don't forget that she was exposed to the chemicals, too.

So is her ground water like most "agricultural" soils are.

So maybe not so much haste after all.

Drink deeply my friend.

Well if someone stands in a spray drift then they are to blame.