|
The Shannon
Regional Fisheries Board
 Aquatic
Environment - Farming in the Shannon Catchment
Pesticides
and the Environment
The river Shannon together with its lakes and
tributaries, is an important part of Ireland's wonderful natural
heritage. Those of us who live and work in the catchment of the river
have a special duty to protect water quality. Clean water is essential
for all life - plants, animals and of course ourselves. It is up to us
all all to do what we can to preserve the Shannon for future
generations. Farmers have a vital role to play in this community effort.
Spraying pesticides can have an adverse impact on water
quality. All operations of spraying equipment should follow the Teagasc
Voluntary Code of Good Practice.
Filling and washing out
The sprayer should not be filled directly from a
watercourse. A mobile or static water tank, or a large diameter
filling hose will speed up filling as well as keeping dirty water
out of the sprayer.
The wash-up facilities should allow the operator to
fill and wash out without risk of polluting watercourses.
of washings
On the last tank-full, great care should be taken not to
mix too much spray. Whewn spraying is finished, a little more water
should be added to the sprayer on the same crop. The final washing
should be carried out on hard-core or soil: do not wash out on concrete
that drains to a watercourse.
Washing Containers
Empty pesticide containers should be washed immediately,
and the washings added to the sprayer tank. After draining, the
container should be quarter filled with water, the cap replaced and the
container thoroughly shaken, before draining into the sprayer tank. This
procedure should be repeated twice more.
Control of spray Drift
When spraying every effort should be made to reduce the
amount of drift. Spray volume, pressure, nozzle type and size, boom
height and forward speed can all be adjusted to reduce drift. Untreated
strips should be left near watercourses and wildlife habitats.
ACTIVE INGREDIENTS
Always follow the instructions on the label to ensure
that the correct amount of active ingredients is used. It is a legal
requirement that pesticides, applied and stored in accordance with the
label instructions.
There is growing concern among consumer and environment
groups about the use of certain pesticides. For more information on this
subjest check out websites
further reading
-
Pesticides Code of Good Practice - Teagasc
-
Approved Pesticides for use on Vegtable Crops - Teagasc
-
Pesticides Residues in Food - Dept of Agriculture, Food
and Rural Development
You can order this brochure by contacting our Limerick
Office - see below
|
