Grain Producers SA (GPSA) has appointed a consultant to review options to strengthen best industry practice in a bid to address ongoing challenges around agrichemical spray application.
South Australian business Hydra Consulting has been appointed to lead the multi-pronged project on behalf of GPSA.
It has also commissioned a team of experienced University of South Australia researchers to undertake a project on attitudes and behaviours of farmers to mitigate spray drift.
GPSA chief executive officer Brad Perry said the two projects were designed to think outside the square when it came to minimising off-target damage.
“The consultant will be looking at benchmarking agrichemical spray application across Australia and the world to provide options for things that we, as the grain industry in South Australia, can do better when it comes to spraying,” he said.
“We know most growers spray agricultural chemicals under the appropriate weather conditions, but we are constantly battling with how we reach those few who do not.
“This season we’ve seen a perfect storm where weather and timing has culminated in challenges around applying spray during the appropriate windows, which is why GPSA developed and ran the awareness campaign ‘Don’t Spray your Dollars Away’ across various media platforms from December to February this year.”
Mr Perry said the projects and the campaign showed “how determined we are to tackle this incredibly important issue”.
Agricultural chemicals protect crops from pests and disease, but incorrect use can have adverse effects on health and the environment.
A key component in helping to change the actions of those not adhering to regulations for spraying in the grain industry was through behavioural change, Mr Perry said.
“The UniSA team of researchers are reviewing more than 650 pieces of historic literature to provide GPSA with an understanding of effective strategies for inducing changes in behaviour and attitudes to minimise off-target spray drift,” he said.
“This important work will also provide a rigorous research evidence base to support current and future policies on spray drift management.”
