Spray drift experiments were performed to quantify the variation of spray drift deposition alongside the treated field. A comparison is made between the standard setup of a spray drift measurement measuring spray drift deposition in the middle downwind of the edge of the sprayed field. Ground collectors are used in the area 0.50–15 m from the last nozzle and a continuous line of ground collectors at 2 m and 5 m from the last nozzle alongside the total length of the crop-edge of the field. A potato field of 102 m length and 75 m width edges was therefore sprayed. During spray application wind speed and direction was recorded. The spray liquid used was tap water with fluorescent dye added Brilliant Sulfo Flavine) and a non-ionic surfactant (Agral Gold). In the laboratory, the BSF was extracted from the collectors with demineralised water and analysed by fluorimetry (Perkin Elmer LS 45). Spray deposits were expressed as μL cm-2 and as percentage of the applied spray volume. During spraying the sprayer boom movement was measured in the horizontal plane and vertical plane. Spray drift deposition pattern alongside the field edge was compared to the standard spray drift setup and the sprayer boom movement.
A popular option under agri-environmental schemes throughout Europe has been the introduction of buffer strips adjacent to field boundaries. Buffer strips are usually established using grass-only seed mixes, or through natural regeneration. As a consequence, their function and biodiversity value might be limited due to a low presence of desirable forb species. Given the financial barrier of using forb-rich seed mixes, there is a need to identify species that establish reliably in parallel with management options that encourage their persistence. In a 5-year study across three different sites we investigated the responses of 32 different forb species sown in two different grass-based seed mixes tailored to soil type. Generally, there was an increase in sown forb cover with time, and this effect was greatest in plots sown with fine-grasses treated with an application of graminicide or an annual cut. We have identified a suite of ten forb species that are likely to establish and persist in buffer strip habitats.
The impacts of small woodlands on farmland biodiversity are less well studied than those of other habitats, such as hedgerows and field margins. Butterfly abundance and species richness were recorded along transects on two farms in southern England, one organic and one conventional, which had small woodlands. Woodland edges were particularly important for two species: comma Polygonia c-album and speckled wood Parare aegeria. Both were more abundant on woodland edges compared to hedgerows or field margins. A range of declining wider countryside species, including gatekeeper Pyronia tithonus and meadow brown Maniola jurtina, also frequented woodland edges. The quality of woodland edges was influential. Butterfly abundance was higher on woodland edges with a shrub layer. There was some evidence that bramble presence had a greater effect on butterfly abundance on the conventional compared to the organic farm. Small woodlands can make an important contribution to biodiversity conservation on farmland.
The evaluation of the latest data on spray drift in orchard spraying in the Netherlands, and measurements of surface water quality parameters show that the current legislation and measures are insufficient to protect the surface water. To meet the national and European objectives regarding surface water quality also a reduction of chemical input is required. New strategies have to be developed to retain chemicals for crop protection and a clean environment. Latest developments showed great perspectives for multiple row orchard sprayers. The use of these types of sprayers has increased dramatically in the Netherlands in recent years. It is proven that multiple row sprayers reduce spray drift significantly. It is assumed that spray depositions are improved when spraying with multiple row sprayers and dose can therefore be reduced accordingly, without reducing biological efficacy. The objective is to find the optimum combination of application parameters for different stages of canopy development to reduce spray drift while improving spray deposition. In a series of trials, spray deposition measurements were carried out following the ISO-22522 protocol. In the experiments multiple row orchard sprayers of two manufacturers (Munckhof and KWH), were compared to a conventional cross-flow fan sprayer (Munckhof).
A criticism of the land-sparing approach to preserving biodiversity, by restricting farmland to a smaller, higher-yielding area, is that other impacts are higher in food produced this way. This study aims to investigate the evidence for this based on currently available data and models for greenhouse gas emissions, N, P and soil loss and water use. We asked 25 experts to identify and supply data to plot environmental impact per unit of product against yield for the beef, dairy, wheat and rice sectors. This produced data from modelling and field trials and the lifecycle assessment and field trial literature. The data were modelled statistically to adjust for differences between the studies. Given data limitations, it does not seem that higher yielding agricultural production has higher impacts, often quite the reverse. We ask those conducting field studies to collect data that can definitively answer this question.
