Reducing pesticide waste makes financial as well as environmental sense, but it means more than just reducing spills. It also means not buying more than you need to apply, keeping records of what you have on hand, and using older product first.
- Buying only what you need makes long-term storage and winter
storage unnecessary.
- Record keeping allows you to make better purchasing decisions.
Keep records of past field application rates and their
effectiveness. Also keep information such as the manufacturer's
name and address, pesticides types, and handling precautions.
Such information can be important if you must respond quickly to an
accident.
- Using older products first keeps your inventory current and
effective.
The following are some other areas of concern that may often be overlooked by the farmer, but that need to be considered in the prevention of ground water contamination on the farm.