UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) seeks comments until Jan. 19, 2002 on proposed pesticide product labeling designed to reduce spray drift. A specialist in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences urges crop producers and others to respond.

"Pesticide manufacturers will be expected to print new drift reduction restrictions on most product labels," says Bill Hoffman, senior extension associate in Penn State's Pest Management Information Center. "Crop producers could be affected by new restrictions on ground boom and air-blast sprayer applications."

The proposed labeling targets key application criteria to reduce windblown spray droplets and particles, as opposed to off-target movement caused by chemical volatility, he explains.

Hoffman describes the proposed restrictions:

Ground Boom Sprayers. Nozzle height must be set to within 48 inches of the ground, or the top of the crop canopy. All applications in winds over 10 mph will be prohibited. Pesticide manufacturers also will have the option to mandate the spray droplet size according to American Society of Agricultural Engineers (ASAE) standards.

Air-Blast Sprayers. Applicators will be prohibited from directing sprays above trees or vines in orchards and vineyards. They would be required to turn off outward pointing nozzles at row ends and outer rows. Applications will be prohibited when wind speeds are less than 3 mph and greater than 10 mph.

Other Drift Control Methods. The applicator must "use all other measures necessary to control drift" when using ground boom and air-blast sprayers. Measures recommended by Penn State Cooperative Extension include proper nozzle selection, decreasing spray pressure and using drift control agents.

Wind Speed Measurement. Compliance with wind speed restrictions will be "as measured by an anemometer (a device that detects wind speed) at the application site." Extension experts long have recommended wind speed measurement as an important best management practice to control spray drift.

"No-Spray" Zones. To protect humans, plants, animals or natural resources from the adverse effects of spray drift, "no-spray zones" may be needed for certain products.

A no-spray zone is "an area in which direct application of the pesticide is prohibited; this area is specified in distance between the closest point of direct pesticide application and the nearest boundary of a site to be protected, unless otherwise specified on a product label."

An example might be "Do not apply this product within 100 feet of ponds or streams where fish are present. Under no circumstances apply product within 100 feet of people or these areas."

The proposal is available on the Web at http://www.epa.gov/opppmsd1/PR_Notices/prdraft-spraydrift801.htm or by "fax-on-demand" at (202) 401-0527 (select item 6142).

"Comments must be received by January 19, 2002 and identified by the docket control number OPP-00730 on the first page of a mail submission, or in the subject line of an e-mail," Hoffman says. "State your views as clearly as possible, describe any assumptions you use, provide specific examples to illustrate your concerns and describe alternatives."

E-mail comments to Kim Dionis kdionis@psu.edu 814-863-2703 814-865-1068 fax