Night spraying: pesticide efficacy with nighttime application

Project lead:
Ken Coles, Manager, Farming Smarter

Start Date: April 2012

End Date: December 2015

Alberta Barley’s contribution: $6,000

Partners:

• Alberta Barley

• Alberta Canola Producers Commission

• Agriculture Opportunity Fund

• Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development

• Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

Total funding from other partners: $174,000

Summary:
The project aims to determine if applying herbicides at night is a practical option for farmers; to generate unbiased data on the efficacy of and tolerance of night application of herbicides, and to uncover possible issues or complications associated with night spraying. So far, the best herbicide results have come from daytime spraying for pre-seed burndown and the best fungicide results on barley have come from early-morning spraying. The project could expand to include insecticide applications.

Benefits for farmers:
Night spraying may provide a feasible alternative to poor daytime conditions and could potentially improve efficacy due to greater absorption. Night spraying may provide farmers with the option to cover the same acres in a shorter period or to cover more acres with the same equipment.