The effects of hedges on spray deposition and on the biological impact of pesticide spray drift.

Two series of drift deposition measurements were carried out at different wind speeds using sodium fluorescein as a tracer dye sprayed over a grass field 6 m upwind of a hedge. Efficient receptors were placed below and above hedge height (1.6 m) between 1 and 20 m downwind from the sprayed area. Receptors below hedge height reflected a sudden decrease in deposition immediately behind the hedge, followed by a gradual increase again up to 15 m, i.e., nine times the height of the hedge. The sheltering effect of a hedge from the biological impact of spray drift was studied by bioassays using tomato and Lychnis flos-cuculi plants for the herbicide MCPA and young Pieris brassicae larvae for the insecticide cypermethrin. These demonstrated that the protection afforded to sensitive species in strong winds may be quite limited, and severe damage may be inflicted over considerable distances. In intermediate cases, a protected zone is followed by a zone of further significant damage before drift depositions cease to have further effect. In some cases, the sheltered zone may extend to a distance where drift deposition, even in the absence of a hedge, has minimal effect.

Effect of mecoprop drift on some plant species of conservation interest when grown in standardized mixtures in microcosms.

There has been an increasing awareness of potential impacts of herbicide drift on to vegetation in nature reserves and field margin habitats adjacent to treated areas. Previous work using single species bioassays has suggested that the effects of a single drift event are confined close to the sprayer (< 10 m). In the present study eight native dicotyledonous species, with and without a perennial grass (Lolium perenne), were grown in standardized microcosms in order to study (1) the effects of herbicide drift where plants were exposed to competition, and (2) the effects of a second spray application. The microcosms were arranged downwind (0-8 m) of a standard agricultural sprayer applying mecoprop at recommended rates. The effects of the herbicide drift on foliar symptoms of plant damage and end-of-season yield were assessed in each of two years. The main conclusions were that (1) growth of Stachys sylvatica and Lolium perenne (where sown) was enhanced near the sprayer and, (2) six other species (Digitalis purpurea, Galium mollugo, Hypericum hirsutum, Lychnis flos-cuculi, Primula veris and Ranunculus acris) showed some evidence of reduction in either performance (assessed non-destructively after a single exposure) or yield after two exposures. Three species (Lychnis flos-cuculi, Primula veris and Ranunculus acris) showed a reduction in flowering performance. Thus, mecoprop drift affected the aesthetic appearance, possibly the fecundity of some species and the balance between species in these microcosm experiments. The implications of these results for the persistence of attractive plant communities in sensitive areas are discussed.

Effects of herbicide spray drift on selected species of nature conservation interest: the effects of plant age and surrounding vegetation structure.

There has been increasing awareness of the possible impact of herbicide drift on vegetation in nature reserves and field-margin habitats adjacent to treated areas. However, relatively little is known about the impact of such drift on species typical of these habitats. To investigate this problem a series of bioassay experiments simulating spray drift were carried out with five native plant species of different age placed at different distances up to 4 downwind from a sprayer under standardized conditions. These experiments used three herbicides--glyphosate, MCPA and mecoprop--in three types of surrounding vegetation structure--short, medium-height and tall grassland. Many plants showed symptoms of damage after spraying but showed no significant growth reduction at the end of the season even underneath the sprayer. Where a reduction in yield was found, it occurred close to the sprayer. In general, young plants were more often affected than old ones. Yield promotion occurred for some species between 2 and 4 m downwind of the sprayer (curvilinear response) with unknown ecological consequences. The structure of the surrounding vegetation influenced the response for some species, which indicates that deposition patterns can be complex, and thus there may be difficulty in predicting effects in semi-natural communities from simple deposition models.

Assessment of the effects of herbicide spray drift on a range of plant species of conservation interest.

With increasing use of herbicides there has been growing concern that spray drift from treated land will affect vegetation on adjacent nature reserves and other areas of high conservation interest. A preliminary attempt was made to assess this risk by placing a range of native plant species at different distances downwind from standardised drift events and assessing lethal effects and sublethal damage. Five herbicides were tested: asulam, 'Finesse' (chlorsulfuron + metsulfuron-methyl), glyphosate, MCPA and mecoprop. Applications were made at the appropriate time of years for each herbicide (autumn, spring and summer), and at both low and high wind speeds. The maximum safe distance at which no lethal effects were found was 6 m from the sprayer, but for most herbicides the distance was 2 m or less. Generally, damage symptoms were found at greater distances than lethal effects, but in most cases there was rapid recovery by the end of the growing season. These observations are consistent with drift-deposition models, in which the fallout of herbicide droplets has been measured. It is suggested that buffer zones surrounding nature reserves should be in the order of 5-10 m for ground sprayers to minimise the risk of herbicide impacts on these habitats.