Released May 4, 2009
BROOKINGS, S.D. -- Carrying an emergency kit on your sprayer can help you respond to leaks or other problems in the field, a South Dakota State University specialist said.
Jim Wilson, the South Dakota Cooperative Extension Service’s pesticide applicator training/certification specialist, said extra hoses, hose clamps, and perhaps an extra set of protective clothing could be among the starting items for such a kit.
“Some of the things to consider using would be items such as electrician’s tape, perhaps duct tape, washer-headed screws, caulking compound, anything you can think of that may be used to slow or stop a potential leak or spill,” Wilson said. “It may be good to carry a plastic tarp of some sort to roll up and carry with the sprayer.”
If the sprayer forms a leak, Wilson said, you can spread the tarp underneath the sprayer and use dirt to build a berm underneath the tarp at the edges so that there’s a pocket or depression in the middle to catch fluid.
"That may serve to contain the spray and eliminate the problem with soil contamination until you have time to stop the leak and get it repaired."
Critical replacement parts, absorbent materials, plastic bags and a shovel are among the other items that can round out an emergency kit. Wilson added that a pesticide applicator should always put on protective clothing before trying to stop or contain a spill. For more information on preventing and managing pesticides spills, consult SDSU Extension Extra 8109, “Handling Pesticides Properly.” Ask at your county Extension office or download the publication at http://agbiopubs.sdstate.edu/articles/ExEx8109.pdf.
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http://agbionews.sdstate.edu/story.cfm?id=4711
Contacts: Jim Wilson, (605) 688-4752
Lance Nixon, (605) 688-4653, Lance.Nixon@sdstate.edu
