Water Volume - SMR 10

REDUCED-VOLUME SPRAYING – ADVICE FOR ALL PRODUCTS

Terms and conditions

This advisory note is provided by Belchim Crop Protection to give information on the use of reduced water volumes through ground-applicator hydraulic sprayers for the Belchim Crop Protection product range. The contents of this document are for information only and do not constitute any form of recommendation by Belchim Crop Protection.  Any products applied at reduced water volumes are at the users risk with respect to biological efficacy.

Background information

As a result of implementation of the cross compliance requirements (SMR 10), there has been much interest in the use of reduced-volume spraying for plant protection products.  The Code of Practice for Safe Use of Plant Protection Products (January 2006) is an important source of practical advice for farmers and growers on how to use pesticides and plant protection products safely and by doing so, to meet the legal obligations which cover the use of pesticides.  Paragraph 4.6.4 of the Code of Practice (pg 80) provides advice on ground-based reduced-volume spraying (where the concentrate being sprayed is diluted with a lower volume of water than the minimum volume recommended on the label for that dose) as follows:

“You should not use reduced-volume spraying if the label (or the relevant notice of approval):

• bans reduced-volume spraying (for example, if there is a maximum in-use concentration or minimum application volume); or
• states that PPE must be worn when the product is at the dilution ready for use; or
• has ‘corrosive’’, ‘very toxic’, ‘toxic’ or ‘risk of serious damage to eyes’ on the product label.

In these situations, you may reduce the volume only if you also reduce the dose of product so that the concentration of the spray solution is no greater than that recommended on the product label.”

Thus any product with any of the above three statements/restrictions on the product label (including the phrase “Wear suitable protective gloves when handling contaminated surfaces”) may be applied at reduced volume but the dose of product must also be reduced accordingly such that the final spray concentration remains the same.

 The Code of practice “has a special position in law”.  It states in paragraph 1.4 (pg 17) “If you follow its advice you will be doing enough to keep within the law. But you may be able to work in a different way from the code as long as that way is just as safe”.  This means that a product can still be applied at reduced volume without reducing the dose, provided risk assessments for operator, bystander and worker exposure show that the use is “just as safe”. Risk assessments have been conducted for a number of Belchim products that would otherwise have reduced-volume restrictions under the Code of Practice.

Where products are not subject to any of the above restrictions and can therefore be applied as a reduced-volume spray without reducing the dose*, the Code of practice states:

“In all other cases you may choose to apply a pesticide as a reduced-volume spray as long as:

• the concentration of the ‘reduced-volume’ spray is no greater than 10 times the maximum concentration recommended on the label;
• you meet all the conditions of the product approval, including the maximum individual dose of the product;
• you fully understand how to use the spraying equipment and know exactly how to control the spray;
• you use a spray quality no finer than ‘fine’ for ground-based vehicle-mounted or trailed sprayers and no finer than ‘medium’ for equipment that is hand controlled;
• you have assessed the risk to human beings (made a COSHH assessment, where appropriate) and the risk to other creatures, plants and the environment (based, where appropriate, on advice from a competent adviser), and made sure that the necessary controls are in place; and
• your protection measures are at least as good as those shown in annex E (Guidance on using personal protective equipment, pgs 138-140 of Code of Practice)”

READ THE LABEL BEFORE USE.  USING THIS PRODUCT IN A MANNER THAT IS INCONSISTENT WITH THE LABEL MAY BE AN OFFENCE. FOLLOW THE CODE OF PRACTICE FOR USING PLANT PROTECTION PRODUCTS.

Belchim Crop Protection Ltd, 1B Fenice Court, Phoenix Park, Eaton Socon, St. Neots, Cambridgeshire PE19 8EW. Telephone 01480 403333