Vegetable farmers are concerned about the consequences and liability of herbicide drift. However, farmers are often unaware of environmental conditions and other factors that influence off-target movement of herbicides. Prevention is the most important strategy when it comes to herbicide drift, because it is difficult to mitigate the damages caused by the unintentional movement of herbicides once it occurs. Even though environmental conditions are often the cause of herbicide drift, likely the applicator will be held financially liable for any collateral damage. Factoring the significant financial risk involved with pesticide applications, producers are keenly interested and motivated to learn ways to reduce the incidences of herbicide drift.
The project provided educational workshops and hands on activities to Louisiana vegetable growers in two locations, Baton Rouge and Bossier City, selected based on industry concentration, accessibility and site management. The workshops were offered in two different seasons to capture the need of growers. Presentations and field walkthroughs were focused on identifying herbicide drift damage, proper equipment cleaning techniques, and managing herbicide drift. This included an action plan for collecting information and submitting a claim to Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF) inspectors. We complemented our program with extension publications and factsheets as well as educational videos. Our workshops were attended by 59 people including growers, extension agents and LDAF agents. Through state, regional and national professional meetings we were able to to reach to more than 150 contacts. Online resources as of October 2024 count 360 views.
Pre- and post-evaluations as well as follow up communication with workshop attendees provided useful information on the impact of our project. Follow up communication to PI and Co-PIs highlighted the importance of educating extension and LDAF agents as they are the first contact people growers contact.