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Farmers urged to use best practice when spraying pesticides

 

Farmers urged to use best practice when spraying pesticides

 

Farmers urged to use best practice when spraying pesticides following MCPA detections in drinking water in Donegal

 

Exceedances in pesticides have been detected in drinking water sources in Co Donegal and as a result Donegal County Council is appealing to farmers and other users of pesticides to follow the guidelines when applying these substances to their lands.

 

In Donegal the exceedances were noted in Killybegs, Carrigart-Downings and Donegal (Lough Eske) in 2017 as well as low level detections in many other supplies and while there is no threat to public health, it is imperative that users of pesticides are mindful of best practice when spraying their lands.

 

In Ireland, the majority (82 per cent) of drinking water supplies come from surface water sources (water from rivers, lakes and streams). Such supplies are vulnerable to contamination from land and animal run-off.

 

In Donegal, no fewer than 11 different public water supplies across the county have seen the herbicide MCPA detected over the past two years, albeit mostly at very low levels. MCPA is used mainly for eradicating rushes, a problem for many years on Irish farms and one that looks like continuing for many more years. It is also found in other weed killer formulations used by gardeners and growers, so its use is quite widespread.

 

A spokesperson from Donegal County Council explained: “Spring is a time of year for new growth and many people are getting back out into their fields and gardens to assess the effects of winter and prepare for the year ahead. In many cases, they are finding that weeds of various kinds have taken over and action needs to be taken to leave space for the plants they want to grow. In the modern era, the use of pesticides has played a central role but the effects of this can be far reaching and more and more detections of pesticides in drinking water are being found across the country.”

 

MCPA, which is commonly used to kill rushes on wet land, is the main offender, and careless storage, handling and improper application means it ends up in our drinking water leading to breaches of the drinking water regulations.

 

A single drop of pesticide can breach the drinking water limit in a small stream for up to 30 kilometres. That’s the real and devastating threat that faces Ireland’s drinking water sources.

 

Drinking water monitoring results for Ireland show that a number of pesticides commonly used on grassland, such as MCPA, are being detected more frequently.

 

Donegal County Council would like to remind farmers and professional users of pesticides of the need to follow best practice in the application of pesticides such as MCPA on land, particularly near lakes and rivers used as drinking water sources.

 

The basic steps in reducing pesticide risks are –

·         Choose the right pesticide product

·         Read and follow the product label

·         Determine the right amount to purchase and use

·         Don’t spray if rain or strong wind is forecast in the next 48 hours

·         Mark out a 5-metre buffer zone from the edge of the river or lake

·         Avoid spills, stay well back from open drains and rinse empty containers 3 times into the sprayer.

·         Store and dispose of pesticides and their containers properly.

 

If there is no alternative to applying a pesticide, the weed wiping or licking method, using a tractor or quad, has the advantage of being applied primarily to the target plant - rushes or other tall weeds, and has been shown to use about 1/3 of the amount of pesticide, (compared to boom spraying) and produce much lower losses to waters.

 

A recently produced video on the correct use of MCPA can be viewed on the Teagasc and DAFM websites. Information leaflets on pesticide use are also available to download from the Teagasc website at www.teagasc.ie

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