Pesticide and herbicide drift are not uncommon in Kentucky. However according to Dale Anderson, Department of Agriculture Branch Manager, drift cases often go unreported.
Drift occurs when pesticide particles move into non-targeted areas.
When Fulton resident Michelle Greer, who resides at 345 State Route, began early March planting of her organic garden, little did she know two months of hard labor would take only a couple of weeks to destroy.
Greer claims her investment in what she hoped would get her family through the winter, was destroyed by a mixture of a herbicide called Atrizine and Round-up.
Atrizine is a herbicide primarily used to control broadleaf and some grassy weeds for a variety of major and minor crops and non-agricultural uses. It is one of the most widely used agricultural pesticides in the United States, mainly used on corn, sugar cane, sorghum, and minor crops.
Greer contended her neighbor, Bobby Grogan, planted Round up ready corn, then sprayed his property with the herbicide, during unfavorable wind conditions, which she believes caused drifting.
“I do everything in my power to ensure that doesn’t happen. As of right now, you can’t even tell anything touched her garden,” Bobby Grogan of Tripple G Farms said.
“Wind speed has to do with the label. Some labels say not to apply if wind speed exceeds 10 miles per hour, and some advise not to spray if the wind speed exceeds two miles per hour. It also depends on how it is mixed,” Anderson said.
According to Greer, she began to notice her tomatoes, squash, peppers, and corn starting to die in early June. Shortly after, several of her chickens died, as a result, she contends, of eating contaminated food. She then reported it to the Department of Agriculture, who came and took samples. Greer said the results could take up to one month to come back.
“I was advised by the Department of Agriculture not to eat anything from my garden,” Greer said.
According to Kenneth Edmaiston, a cattle farmer who has lived in the community for 25 years, these types of incidents rarely happen.
“Most of the local farmers are conscious of laws regarding drift,” Edmaiston said.
Although is has not been determined whether or not Grogan’s mixture of Round-up, Atrizine, and Lumax is what killed Greer’s garden, Grogan’s insurance company did settle with Greer.
The estimated damage according to Greer, from Grogan’s insurance company, was $543, far from the $2500 Greer claimed her garden was worth.
“I feel like I have been taken. Not only have my plants been killed, so has my hobby,” Greer said.
Steps in identifying specific chemicals, usually involve contacting the Department of Agriculture, who then sends out an inspector to pull samples and take photos.
According to the Department of Agriculture most applicators used by farmers have a wind speed detector. If not, farmers can contact the National Weather Service regarding the wind speed for a specific area.
Pesticide drift can be difficult to manage because the full range of droplet sizes cannot be detected visually.
Although virtually every pesticide application produces some amount of drift, pesticide drift is a serious concern in agriculture. Problems that can result from drift include environmental contamination, a lower rate of application on the intended site, and damage to off target sites.
Grogan said he always takes weather conditions into consideration when he sprays, and that he is sorry for any damages he caused, and hopes the two can get past this.
Greer said she already began replanting, and hopes for an outcome better than the previously planted garden.
