Pesticide Use and Management

Pesticides used to control weeds such as docks, thistles, or rushes need to be applied carefully to prevent losses and impact on water quality and drinking water supplies.

Pesticide is a broad term that covers plant protection products (PPPs) and biocidal products (BPs). Herbicides, fungicides and insecticides are common types of pesticides. PPPs are used in agriculture to protect crops and plants from harm caused by diseases, insect pests, weeds and other harmful organisms.

Implementing best management practice is the best advice.

Storage and Preparation for Spraying

The store should be secure, warning sign at entrance, potential leakages retained, and labels still attached on original containers.

  • The applicator must be a trained Professional Pesticide User.
  • Application equipment must be well maintained, calibrated and tested.
  • Discuss with your Agricultural Planner/Adviser alternative methods of control such as, topping, drainage, soil fertility and sward improvement.

Handling Herbicides

  • Use appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) - Check safety data sheet.
  • Minimise risks during transport as accidents can happen.
  • Always read and follow label instructions (correct use, correct rate, correct time).
  • Always use the approved application method for the chemical. Where appropriate the safest option is spot spraying as it reduces the volume of chemical used.
  • Take care to avoid spills, especially when handling the concentrated product. Useful to have a containment system in place to catch spills.
  • Sprayers should be filled where losses to water bodies cannot occur. NEVER fill the sprayer directly from a watercourse.

Spraying Herbicides

  • Be aware of the location of water bodies on the farm. Take note of the Buffer Zone on the chemical label (generally 5m for grassland herbicides).
  • Comply with Safeguard Zones for the protection of drinking water abstractions.
  • Do not apply close to vulnerable areas such as karst bedrock, swallow holes or field drains filled towards the surface with stone.
  • Consider grassed buffer strip to protect vulnerable water bodies.
  • Keep spray boom as low as possible.
  • Use the coarsest appropriate spray quality.
  • Consider use of low drift nozzles- drift reducing nozzles.
  • Consider lower application rates, different application timings, alternative treatments etc.
  • Spray when conditions are suitable: calm day, vegetation dry, no heavy rainfall for >2 days, land dry (no tyre marks) and a young crop of healthy weeds.
  • Triple rinse the container and add the reinstate to the sprayer.
  • In the field, spray off the tank washings and clean down the external parts of the sprayer. Do not discard sprayer washings on a yard or gravel area as it can potentially enter a water body.

For the management of empty product containers, farmers should comply with the ‘Good Practice Guide for Empty Pesticide Containers’:

  • Step 1 – Triple rinse empty plant protection product containers after use and wash container caps and threads.
  • Step 2 – Inspect and fully drain the triple rinsed containers.
  • Step 3 – Puncture empty PPP containers.
  • Step 4 – Purchase Farm Plastic Recycling Ltd. bags from your local Co-op or agri-merchant.
  • Step 5 – Place the triple rinsed, clean and punctured PPP containers and washed caps in the recycling bags.
  • Step 6 – Store bags in a safe dry place while filling.
  • Step 7 – Bring filled recycling bags to your local authorised bring centre. The location and dates of the bring centres are available on the Farm Plastics Recycling website: www.farmplastics.ie

All of the drinking water supplies in County Cavan are from rivers, lakes or groundwater sources.  We must encourage everyone to be involved in protecting river, lake and groundwater sources so we can help to protect human health as well as the environment.

For further information on pesticides and water quality or any other queries you may have regarding the environment, please contact the Environmental Services Section of Cavan County Council on 049 437 8486 or by email atenviron@cavancoco.ie.