If spray drift occurs onto a neighboring crop, what steps should you take?

• A. Continue spraying as planned
• B. Notify the landowner and follow label directions
• C. Switch to a different chemical immediately
• D. Do not spray further in that direction, notify landowner, follow label, and adjust future operations to minimize drift

Answer: (D)

When spray drift reaches a neighboring crop, the immediate goal is to prevent further harm and follow proper procedures. The best course is to stop spraying in the direction of the drift, notify the landowner, and follow the label directions. This approach protects other crops and ensures you’re acting within legal and label requirements, which may specify what to do when drift occurs and how to handle reentry or remediation steps.

Following the label is crucial because it provides the exact steps you must take when drift happens, including what to do about the affected area and any reporting or timing restrictions before resuming applications. Notifying the landowner is part of coordinating the response and mitigating potential damage.

Additionally, adjust future operations to minimize drift. This means reassessing sprayer settings and application conditions to reduce drift risk in the future—such as using drift-reducing nozzles or larger droplets, lowering spray height, reducing pressure, changing application timing to when winds are calmer, or adjusting the tank mix and timing to avoid sensitive neighboring crops.

Why not continue spraying in hopes the drift stops on its own? That leaves the drift uncontrolled and can cause more damage and liability. Simply notifying the landowner without taking the other steps fails to address the immediate risk and label requirements. Switching chemicals on the spot isn’t a guaranteed fix and doesn’t tackle the drift problem or the label instructions for handling drift events. The complete, correct action is to stop in that direction, inform the landowner, follow the label, and adjust future practices to minimize drift.