PLANT PROTECTION 1 – Pests, Diseases and Weeds

PLANT PROTECTION 1 – Pests, Diseases and Weeds
Marking systems
To ensure uniform pesticide coverage over target areas, some system of temporarily marking the treated area is
needed to prevent/indicate overlapping, unsprayed areas, spray drift onto non-target areas, blocked nozzles. etc.
Overlapping increases pesticide usage, time taken, cost of spraying operations and may hasten development of
herbicide resistance in overlapped areas or cause environmental contamination.
Unsprayed areas can decrease crop yields, increase seed set of weeds, increasing the future weed burden.
May indicate blocked nozzles, equipment malfunction.
Different colours, eg blue is regarded as being more aesthetically acceptable on sportsgrounds/turf.
Some are not for use on edible crops.
Some are formulated for use on turf only, others for horticulture and turf.
Some are for use only with herbicides, others with insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, PGRs, fertilizers.
Some only for herbicides and smaller areas, eg rhodamine Kendocide
Some breakdown in hours, eg Blazon , others remain for several days; foam remains for several hours.
They contain a range of ingredients, eg rhodamine, etc.
Plants accidentally sprayed can be immediately treated to minimize damage. Some do not stain fingers.
Markers are listed under product type on PubCris on the APVMA website www.apvma.gov.au/
Table 75. Marking systems – some examples.
THE PRODUCT
Trade name
Active constituent
DYES
RED
BLUE
GREEN
SOME USES
Read label, obtain advice from company
REDYE Liquid Marking Dye (rhodamine B) use with herbicides (high water
volume applications) for marking sprayed areas in horticulture, turf.
Use with both liquid and powder herbicide spray products, foam colouring agent.
Colour on sprayed areas remains for several days.
Use in areas which are not too large, shrub beds, spot spraying, boom spraying
small areas where other markers cannot be used.
Use where stock are grazing, as a warning to owners.
Indicates contamination of operator’s personal protective equipment. Can be
difficult to wash out.
Use low rates on light coloured vegetation situations, eg concrete edges, kerbs
and gutters, granite areas and pine mulch. Use high rates on dark vegetation.
ENVIRODYE Red Liquid marking Dye can be used with pesticide sprays; good
compatibility with glyphosate, 2,4-D, MCPA and dicamba.
BIG FOOT liquid (sulphonated aromatic acid dye) is a highly concentrated blue
spray pattern indicator in horticulture and turf.
BLAZON Blue Spray Pattern Indicator (proprietary colorant) for use with
pesticide, fertilizer and PGR solutions, to temporarily identify treated areas. Not
intended for use on edible corps.
ENVIRODYE Blue Liquid Marking Dye (sulphonated ar
for turf and a marker for use with pesticides and marking foam.
TurfMark Blue (blue colorant) is a spray marker for turf use.
RE-GREEN is used on dormant turf, pale coloured grasses or dying turf.
FOAM MARKERS
MECHANICAL SCRATCHERS
TRAMLINES
HUMAN MARKERS
FIXED SIGHT MARKERS
GPS (Global Positioning Systems)
TREE MARKING PAINTS
SPRAY DEPOSITS ON PLANTS
various dyes
SPRAY OPERATORS
various dyes
Foam generators on the end of the spray boom drop blobs of foam to mark the edge
of the treated area. Foam may be white, pink or blue. Uses. Broadacre agriculture.
Mechanical scratchers, eg plough shares or discs, trailed from the end of a spray
boom will leave a mark for the next spray. Not recommended for areas with stumps or
large stones, hard soil, dust may inactivate chemical. Uses. Broadacre agriculture.
Very accurate. Strips of paddock/crop are left unsown and "tramlines" are used to
guide the sprayer. Seeder width is matched so that the sprayer is a multiple of the
seeder widths. Uses. Broadacre agriculture.
The Aerial Agricultural Association of Australia has prepared a list of procedures for
human markers to follow to ensure operational safety and uniform application.
Uses. Broadacre agriculture, aerial applications.
Fixed sight markers, preferably colour-coded to prevent confusion, are placed on
fences. Some are radio-controlled that move themselves along fence lines.
Uses. Broadacre agriculture, aerial applications
Satellite navigation on aircraft, and within tractors, are becoming common with spray
contractors. They enable accurate spraying limited only by the accuracy of the
particular GPS equipment in use and the ability of the tractor driver or steering
equipment to follow navigational lines. Uses. Broadacre agriculture, aerial applic.
Special paints available as aerosols are used to mark individual trees for treatment.
Resists weathering.
Various dyes and systems are used to check droplet coverage and spray patterns
on leaves.
Various dyes, some of which can only be seen under fluorescent lights are available
for checking spray deposits on personal protective equipment of operators.
456 Weeds - Examples of weed situations