Crop Spraying Delayed

Jun 26, 2020

Aerial crop spraying has been delayed this year due to the later spring seeding.

Pembina Air Services Chief Pilot Jim Peters tells us what they're focusing on right now.

"Right now we're into the leaf disease on the wheat that we're trying to protect the flag leaf and keep it disease free," he said. "Following that we'll get into anthesis timing, the flowering of the wheat, so we'll be doing an application there."

Peters says insects have also been a concern.

"We were busy with some flea beetles and some cutworms but now it's kind of tapered off a little bit. Most guys are able to take care of it with their own unit."

He notes grasshoppers are also showing up, although the numbers haven't warranted planes going up.

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Video: Dicamba Returns for Georgia Farmers: What the New EPA Ruling Means for Cotton Growers

After being unavailable in 2024 due to registration issues, dicamba products are returning for Georgia farmers this growing season — but under strict new conditions.

In this report from Tifton, Extension Weed Specialist Stanley Culpepper explains the updated EPA ruling, including new application limits, mandatory training requirements, and the need for a restricted use pesticide license. Among the key changes: a cap of two ½-pound applications per year and the required use of an approved volatility reduction agent with every application.

For Georgia cotton producers, the ruling is significant. According to Taylor Sills with the Georgia Cotton Commission, the vast majority of cotton planted in the state carries the dicamba-tolerant trait — meaning farmers had been paying for technology they couldn’t use.

While environmental groups have expressed concerns over spray drift, Georgia growers have reduced off-target pesticide movement by more than 91% over the past decade. Still, this two-year registration period will come with increased scrutiny, making stewardship and compliance more important than ever.