The importance of preventing pesticide drift
What are pulse crops?
Pesticide drift occurs when spray dro- plets or dust particles from agricultural pesticides, including herbicides, insecti- cides and fungicides, are blown from the area of application to an unintended site. Drift can happen either during applica- tion, when droplets or dust from the pesti- cide travel away from the target area (par- ticle drift), or after application, when some of the chemicals become vapours and are carried away from the site (vapour drift). Pesticide drift exposes people, animals, plants and personal property to harmful chemicals that can have damaging ef- fects. For starters, it poses health risks to people and pets when pesticide sprays and dust drift from farms to
nearby homes, schools and parks. It also endangers wildlife and plants if pesticide drift starts to pollute natural habitats and water sources. Additionally, herbicide drift from one field to another can damage crops that may be more sus- ceptible to the chemicals. TIPS FOR PREVENTION Here are a few guidelines for limiting and preventing drift when applying pesti- cides and herbicides to your crops: • Read the product label carefully to learn how to minimize risk and expo- sure • Adjust your nozzle and pressure to make bigger droplets, which are less li- kely to drift in the wind • Apply pesticides during calm weather conditions; high winds and fog increase the possi- bility of drift • Direct sprays away from property lines to contain pesticides to your farm If you take the time to limit and prevent pesticide drift on your farm, you’ll avoid contaminating the environment, was- ting valuable products and endangering the health of nearby communities.
Pulse crops are the many plants in the legume family that are harvested pri- marily for dry seed and are used as both human food and animal feed. They include crops like dried beans, peas, lentils and chickpeas. In Canada, most pulse crops are grown on farms in Quebec, Ontario, Mani- toba, Saskatchewan and Alberta. AN ECO-FRIENDLY CROP Pulses are considered environmentally friendly crops because they add ni- trogen to the soil, which improves soil quality for future generations of plants.
In addition, including pulses in crop rotations has been shown to help with reducing plant diseases. Farmers often grow pulse crops in rotation with major cash crops like wheat to revita- lize the soil and promote plant health. A CROP WITH HEALTH BENEFITS Pulses come in many different shapes, sizes and colours and can be consu- med in different forms, including split, whole or ground into flours. They’re low in fat and high in protein, fibre, minerals and vitamins like folate. A diet that’s rich in pulses like lentils and peas has been linked to weight loss and a reduced risk of diabetes and heart disease.
Power your barn with solar energy
Many barns are constructed in remote areas off the major power lines, ma- king it difficult and costly to get elec- tricity. Nevertheless, many farmers still need a power source for seeing at night and carrying out operations invol- ving electrically-powered machines and tools. One source of power for barns that’s increasingly appealing to farmers is solar energy. More and more people are choosing to install photovoltaic (PV) systems to power their homes and businesses, and solar panels are a particularly good choice for barns and other agricultural outbuildings that are located off the main power grid. A PV system on the roof of a barn can gene-
rate more than enough energy to power all its operations. Although the initial installation cost of a PV system can be steep, in the long run, having a solar-powered barn is much less costly than building a new utility line, paying monthly energy bills or powering the barn using gene- rators. Plus, in some cases, extra solar energy generated can be sold back to the grid for a profit. If you’d like to have electricity in your barn without having to pay utility bills, consider making the environ- mentally friendly and cost-effective choice to invest in a solar-powered barn.
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