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Water Quality And Herbicide Application

By Department of Primary Industries - 26th July 2005 - Back to News

Mixing high quality water with herbicides greatly increases the chances of obtaining a superior result. Adequate water quality is vital and the cost of having it tested is relatively small when considered next to the cost of the herbicides, the cost to apply them, and the possibility of a partial or total spray failure.

Four key areas essential to the compatibility of a water source to be mixed with a herbicide as a carrier are: pH, turbidity, salinity, and hardness. The best way to determine the quality of a water source is to have it regularly tested.

A range of herbicides are affected by water pH values. In Australia most water sources have varying degrees of alkalinity (high pH) and particular examples of herbicides that are susceptible to these conditions are glyphosate and amine-based herbicide formulations.

Water with a pH above 8.5 is not recommended for use with glyphosate.

There are water conditioners available to reduce the alkalinity of a water source and this will also maximise the effectiveness of the herbicide.

Turbid water is cloudy or muddy water. Turbid water will negatively affect the performance of glyphosate, MCPA, paraquat and diquat. Turbid water can also block filters and nozzles in the herbicide applicator.

Salinity refers to the amount of dissolved salts that may naturally occur in water. Saline water will break down triazine herbicides at a faster rate than non-saline water and will affect the performance of emulsifiable concentrate (EC) formulations of herbicides. However, salinity has little to no effect on the performance of most herbicide formulations.

Hard water has positive metal ions present and affects the water’s ability to lather with soap. Glyphosate and 2,4-D amine-based herbicide formulations are particularly susceptible to breakdown in hard water. Hard water becomes a particular problem with glyphosate above a value of 250 milligrams per litre of calcium carbonate in the water.

Ammonium sulfate (AMS) will (to a certain degree) soften water that contains predominantly calcium and magnesium ions. However, AMS can be quite corrosive to some parts of spray applicators, especially brass components.

Alternatives to poor quality water may involve using rainwater or buying in town water.

The benefits of using high quality water as a herbicide carrier will speak for themselves in the paddock.

BOBBY CALVES NEED COLOSTRUM TOO

All calves require 2 – 4 litres of good quality colostrum within 6 hours of birth, says Jo Crosby, DPI Dairy Industry Development Officer at Warrnambool.

An increasing number of bobby calves are finding their way to calf rearers to be grown on for bull beef or crossbred vealer mothers.

Calves, which have missed out on colostrum, are much more susceptible to infection and disease, and this is a costly and frustrating problem for the calf rearer.

Calves are born with very little defence against disease. The only disease resistance they have comes from the antibodies they consume in colostrum during their first 6 hours of life. These antibodies protect them until their own immune system develops.

The best colostrum comes from older cows that have built up their own resistance to disease. If there is any doubt that the calf has had enough colostrum from its mother, it should be topped up with good quality, stored colostrum.

Calf rearers need strong calves with good immunity to disease. If you develop a reputation as a supplier of good quality bobby calves, your calves will be in demand from this developing dairy beef industry.

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com

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