Spray drift near Narromine threatens major damage

Jan 10 2025: Grain Central

A CENTRAL West New South Wales cotton grower has potentially sustained more than $500,000 in crop yield losses following recent incidents of off-target spray drift.

Grower Andrew Gill was not the only one to suffer yield losses with several reports of damage in an area near Narromine.

According to Cotton Australia, there were also several other severe cases reported in the Macquarie and Lachlan valleys, with minor to moderate damage in the Murray and Murrumbidgee valleys.

In Mr Gill’s case, about 130ha of his cotton crop has sustained substantial off-target spray damage, with little hope that the crop can be salvaged.

He believes the damage has been caused by the off-target spraying before Christmas of a phenoxy herbicide.

“I won’t know the real extent until the plant metabolises the chemical out of its system, but with the damage impacting at least six nodes, it represents a big loss,” Mr Gill said.

“I’m angry and what makes it worse is that we will never know where it came from.”

January 10 2025: Narrowmine (NSW)$500,000 crop yield losses from Spray Drift

Spray drift near Narromine threatens major damage

Jan 10 2025: Grain Central

A CENTRAL West New South Wales cotton grower has potentially sustained more than $500,000 in crop yield losses following recent incidents of off-target spray drift.

Grower Andrew Gill was not the only one to suffer yield losses with several reports of damage in an area near Narromine.

According to Cotton Australia, there were also several other severe cases reported in the Macquarie and Lachlan valleys, with minor to moderate damage in the Murray and Murrumbidgee valleys.

In Mr Gill’s case, about 130ha of his cotton crop has sustained substantial off-target spray damage, with little hope that the crop can be salvaged.

He believes the damage has been caused by the off-target spraying before Christmas of a phenoxy herbicide.

“I won’t know the real extent until the plant metabolises the chemical out of its system, but with the damage impacting at least six nodes, it represents a big loss,” Mr Gill said.

“I’m angry and what makes it worse is that we will never know where it came from.”