“Much of the additional crop will come from dryland plantings made
possible by substantial rainfall. Australia has made a concerted effort
to limit the amount of water available for irrigation to protect its
inland river systems. There are also some concerns that crops will be
planted in locations that haven’t been used for cotton in some time,
potentially exposing them to harmful chemicals used by farmers who are
unaware that cotton has been planted in neighboring fields, according to
Cotton Australia CEO Adam Kay…
“The big concern we have is that many users of phenoxy herbicides may
not be aware that cotton has been planted nearby, which could expose
sensitive cotton to the risk of phenoxy herbicide drift,” Kay said in a
recent press release. “Because 2,4-D chemicals can drift for more than
10 kilometers under the wrong kind of weather conditions, everyone needs
to be sure they know what is being grown around the district.” ..
To help avoid these types of problems, Cotton Australia was one of
several organizations that funded the development of
www.CottonMap.com.au, a Website designed to promote better phenoxy spray
application practices..
“A quick glance over the fence before spraying won’t do the job,” Kay
said. “The only responsible way to use herbicide this season is after
checking CottonMap online at www.cottonmap.com.au.” ”
Date:9/5/2010
Source:www.worldbulletin.net