How can you minimize pesticide movement into surface water during field applications?

• A. Increase spray height
• B. Buffer zones, drift-reducing nozzles, precise application rates, avoid rain or overland flow; use setback distances
• C. Apply during heavy rain
• D. Use no PPE

Answer: (B)

To keep pesticides from moving into surface water, you want strategies that keep most of the product on target and away from water channels or runoff paths. Buffer zones create a vegetated or physical barrier between the treated field and nearby water bodies, which helps intercept drift and slows runoff so fewer pesticides reach the water. Drift-reducing nozzles reduce the production of fine droplets that can drift off-target with the wind, making it easier to keep the spray where you intend. Using precise application rates ensures you’re not applying more chemical than necessary, which lowers the amount available to be mobilized by wind or water. Setback distances keep spray from the edge of fields far enough away from water bodies so that even with some drift or overland flow, the water is protected.

Timing and weather are also crucial: avoid applying before rain is forecast or during conditions that promote overland flow, such as heavy runoff potential on sloped ground, and try to spray when conditions minimize drift and runoff. Each of these practices addresses a different pathway by which pesticides can reach surface water, and together they provide the most reliable protection.

PPE protects the applicator, not the water, so it won’t influence how pesticides move into surface water.