Herbicide Selection Near Sensitive Vegetation
2007
- UW-Madison Dept. of Horticulture
Project Media
While instances of herbicide injury on non-target vegetation are still rare, the risk for such injury has increased in recent years for several reasons. First, expansion and interspersing of residential areas into traditionally agricultural lands increases the chance of non-target exposure. Two acres of farmland are lost every minute of every day in the U.S. (American Farmland Trust 2006). In Wisconsin, about 18,000 agricultural acres per year were developed from 1992 to 1997, representing an increase in rate of 70% over the previous 5 years. Second, recent expansion of specialty and value-added crops in traditional field crop land increases the probability that sensitive vegetation is nearby. Vineyards, orchards, ornamental nurseries and organic farms tend to be particularly at risk from nearby herbicide applications. In organic farming, for example, the organic certification that adds value to the crop can be compromised by non-target sources of herbicide residue. Third, some newer herbicides cause very obvious symptomology on non-target plants, even at very low doses.