Tree Damage From Crop Spraying

[TNTreeHugger]

It's a miracle.
My big mimosa in the front yard has been resurrected.
It's loaded with good leaves, lots of blossoms and good-looking seed pods - and butterflies, bees, and humming birds.

Took three years to grow out of it, but it looks like it may be okay.

 

[OM617YOTA]

We have a mimosa too. They seem to be pretty hearty, ours got damaged pretty bad during an ice storm and bounced back nicely. Bees and hummingbirds love it.

 

[TNTreeHugger]

Here we go again... they're starting early this year.
Does anyone have any idea what they would be spraying on the 1st of February on dormant nursery stock, trees?
This nursery stock is fairly new planted maybe a couple of years ago, can't remember exactly.
It's a tractor pulling a contraption blowing what looks like blue/black smoke (but it smells like chemicals) out the back, pointing almost directly straight back, parallel to the ground, what looks like about 12'-15' from the ground.

If I had to guess, I'd say some kind of fungicide?

 

[pdqdl]

In a tree nursery?
Most likely dormant oil. It smothers many scale insects and overwintering bugs that are unfavorable for the trees. I've never used it.

https://thegoodearthgarden.com/effectively-use-dormant-oil/

I wouldn't expect them to fog the area with a preemergent herbicide, but that is a possibility, too.

 

[TNTreeHugger]

In a tree nursery?
Most likely dormant oil. It smothers many scale insects and overwintering bugs that are unfavorable for the trees. I've never used it.

https://thegoodearthgarden.com/effectively-use-dormant-oil/

Yes, tree nursery.
Is it normal to spray it like that?

 

[pdqdl]

We have a mimosa too. They seem to be pretty hearty, ours got damaged pretty bad during an ice storm and bounced back nicely. Bees and hummingbirds love it.

I tell my customers with Mimosa trees that you cannot even kill them with a chainsaw. They die off from disease, but not from any kind of storm injury.

 

[pdqdl]

Yes, tree nursery.
Is it normal to spray it like that?

Isn't that what I said? Read the link, it will tell you all about it.

 

[TNTreeHugger]

https://plantsciences.tennessee.edu...ites/25/2021/10/Horticultural_Oil_Handout.pdf

 

[TNTreeHugger]

Isn't that what I said? Read the link, it will tell you all about it.

No, that's not what you said. Sheesh. Are you feeling a bit constipated today?

 

[MattGPT]

Here we go again... they're starting early this year.
Does anyone have any idea what they would be spraying on the 1st of February on dormant nursery stock, trees?
This nursery stock is fairly new planted maybe a couple of years ago, can't remember exactly.
It's a tractor pulling a contraption blowing what looks like blue/black smoke (but it smells like chemicals) out the back, pointing almost directly straight back, parallel to the ground, what looks like about 12'-15' from the ground.
View attachment 1238710View attachment 1238712
If I had to guess, I'd say some kind of fungicide?

Could it be mosquito/ insect spray? They don't seem to be making much effort to spray the trees, the photo is a bit hard to see.

 

[pdqdl]

No, that's not what you said. Sheesh. Are you feeling a bit constipated today?

I remain confused by your confusion.
You have apparently found another link to dormant oil, so that should clarify any questions.

The pictures you posted and the date and visible weather conditions suggest that they are doing an excellent application, as well.

 

[pdqdl]

Could it be mosquito/ insect spray? They don't seem to be making much effort to spray the trees, the photo is a bit hard to see.

No mosquitos this time of year. Dormant oil might be considered an insecticide application. The pictures were great for showing what I was looking for. That's a beautiful fog they are spraying, perfect for dormant oil application.

They are emitting a fine mist to ensure thorough coverage. It's important.
Huge swaths of gushing water would be a waste of material. Big droplets as used by ground applications for low drift potential are simply not effective, as they don't provide "thorough" coverage of every tiny spot on a tree.

EDIT: I see you added what looks like a mosquito spraying team in action. The concepts for how to get effective coverage for mosquito control are largely the same as a dormant oil. You need tiny droplet size to get into the nooks and crannies of the entire plant area. Drenching applications are ok for some plant treatments, especially herbicides that need foliar contact and total dosage per plant.

Some applications need to be applied at a much higher concentration, and applied with a fine mist, as it is more important to get all surfaces wet, inclusive of the bottom sides of leaves. In the case of a dormant oil application, there usually are not leaves present. BTW: I think many fungal and bacterial spores are eliminated by dormant oil, so it is considerably more than just an insecticidal treatment. It's more a case of "let's kill everything trying to overwinter on our trees".

So far as I recall, this doesn't affect any of the predatory insects, and vastly reduces the startup numbers of the affected pests, so the seasonal load will be reduced, even if 100% control is seldom achieved.

 

[MattGPT]

No mosquitos this time of year. Dormant oil might be considered an insecticide application. The pictures were great for showing what I was looking for.

They are emitting a fine mist to ensure thorough coverage. It's important.
Huge swaths of gushing water would be a waste of material. Big droplets as used by ground applications for low drift potential are simply not effective, as they don't provide "thorough" coverage of every tiny spot on a tree.

Ah right, still too cold.

Just the description as 'smoke' made me wonder. A fine mist, I'd say it's for the trees. But a real fog/smoke sounds different. I guess the difference is subtle to non-existent.

 

[TNTreeHugger]

Got a close-up of the rig...

Looks like the Jacto 2000
https://jacto.com/northamerica/products/air-blast-sprayers/cannon-sprayer-2000

 

[farmer steve]

https://plantsciences.tennessee.edu...ites/25/2021/10/Horticultural_Oil_Handout.pdf

Your link has good info. Page 1. Other than breathing mist it's perfectly safe. May even be beneficial if some does drift your way. May help later this year in cutting down some bugs that could invade your garden.

 

[pdqdl]

"Fogs" drift further and provide better penetration, but leave less residual insecticide. I've never done any "fogging" commercially, but I think they are generally a solvent based insecticide that is expelled in minuscule particles by boiling the carrier into a fog.

We had a hand-held unit when I was a kid, but I knew nothing about its proper operation.

EDIT: the jacto is a mist blower. No heat, but high volume of air with fantastic atomization of the fluid. Ideal for penetrating coverage of large areas with a fluid mixed at a higher concentration of active ingredients. They are damned good for wiping out large areas with a herbicide as well, but horrible for limiting any potential drift.

 

[TNTreeHugger]

I remain confused by your confusion.
You have apparently found another link to dormant oil, so that should clarify any questions.

The pictures you posted and the date and visible weather conditions suggest that they are doing an excellent application, as well.

I'm sorry you are confused. I'm not.
Your suggestion of horticulture oil seems to be spot on.

 

[farmer steve]

Got a close-up of the rig...
View attachment 1238752
Looks like the Jacto 2000
https://jacto.com/northamerica/products/air-blast-sprayers/cannon-sprayer-2000

Very similar to what I see being used in the fruit orchards around here. The big nozzle can be directed right at the target plants/trees to lessen the chance of drift and over spray.

 

[TNTreeHugger]

Your link has good info. Page 1. Other than breathing mist it's perfectly safe. May even be beneficial if some does drift your way. May help later this year in cutting down some bugs that could invade your garden.

That's what I was thinking, too.

 

[MattGPT]

No mosquitos this time of year. Dormant oil might be considered an insecticide application. The pictures were great for showing what I was looking for. That's a beautiful fog they are spraying, perfect for dormant oil application.

They are emitting a fine mist to ensure thorough coverage. It's important.
Huge swaths of gushing water would be a waste of material. Big droplets as used by ground applications for low drift potential are simply not effective, as they don't provide "thorough" coverage of every tiny spot on a tree.

EDIT: I see you added what looks like a mosquito spraying team in action. The concepts for how to get effective coverage for mosquito control are largely the same as a dormant oil. You need tiny droplet size to get into the nooks and crannies of the entire plant area. Drenching applications are ok for some plant treatments, especially herbicides that need foliar contact and total dosage per plant.

Some applications need to be applied at a much higher concentration, and applied with a fine mist, as it is more important to get all surfaces wet, inclusive of the bottom sides of leaves. In the case of a dormant oil application, there usually are not leaves present. BTW: I think many fungal and bacterial spores are eliminated by dormant oil, so it is considerably more than just an insecticidal treatment. It's more a case of "let's kill everything trying to overwinter on our trees".

So far as I recall, this doesn't affect any of the predatory insects, and vastly reduces the startup numbers of the affected pests, so the seasonal load will be reduced, even if 100% control is seldom achieved.

I used to spray citrus trees with oil. Sometimes just oil, sometimes with pyrethrum. But spraying 3 trees is different to spraying a whole field.

Good for "Bronze-orange beetles" which I hate!