Hostname: page-component-77c89778f8-vsgnj Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-21T21:38:45.187Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Pesticide Accidents in Relation to Weather Conditions

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 August 2009

Don Fred
Affiliation:
Department of Meteorology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma 73069, USA
Edwin Kessler
Affiliation:
Director, National Severe Storms Laboratory, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 1313 Halley Circle, Norman, Oklahoma 73069, USA; Adjunct Professor, Department of Meteorology, University of Oklahoma.

Extract

Research has shown that it is inadvisable to spray crops during either near-absolute calms or very windy conditions; therefore, we studied weather maps and reports of herbicide accidents to investigate the hypothesis that the strong positive correlation between largescale pressure gradient and wind-speed can be used to facilitate prediction of favourable spraying times in Oklahoma. We gave detailed study to the conditions of 10 May 1977, the date in that year when the most herbicide accidents were reported. Although a relatively large pressure gradient existed, there was only weak wind at the KTVY meteorologically instrumented tower (150 km distant from the area of the accidents). We also searched for a strong relationship between herbicide accidents and the pressure gradient through tabulations of daily gradients and accident reports. Only a slight tendency is shown for accidents to occur on days with larger gradients. Research and significant findings for this study were hampered by a lack of specificity and detail in accident reports.

Type
Main Papers
Copyright
Copyright © Foundation for Environmental Conservation 1980

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Craig, Goff R. & Hudson Horace, R., (1972). The thermal structure of the lowest half-kilometer in Central Oklahoma: 12 9, 196605 31, 1967. NOAA Technical Memorandum ERL NSSL No. 58, viii + 53 pp., illustr.Google Scholar
Kessler, Edwin (1977). National Severe Storms Laboratory History and FY 1976 Program: NSSL Special Report. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Environmental Research Laboratories, Boulder, Colorado: 66 pp., illustr.Google Scholar
Kessler, Edwin (1980). Documentation of a 2, 4-D accident. Environmental Conservation, 7(2), pp. 139–43, 6 figs.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (cited as NOAA) (1977). Daily Weather Maps [a continuing publication from which maps for 1 March 1977–15 September 1977 were selected]. U. S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC.Google Scholar
Petterssen, Sverre (1964). Introduction to Meteorology. McGraw-Hill, New York, NY: xi + 333 pp., illust.Google Scholar
State of Oklahoma (1971). Oklahoma Statutes Volume 2, Sections 3–81 through 3–86, pp. 199–202. Amended by S.B. 190, 1977 Oklahoma Legislature Rules and Regulations 3–352 to 3–375. Department of Agriculture, 122 State Capitol Building, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73105.Google Scholar
Warren, L. E. (1976). Controlling drift of herbicides. World of Agricultural Aviation, 3(5), pp. 23–8, 4 figs.Google Scholar
Yates, Wesley E., Akesson, N. B. & Cowden, P. E. (1974). Criteria for minimizing drift residues on crops downwind of aerial application. Transactions of the American Society of Agricultural Engineers, 17(4), pp. 627–32, 7 figs.CrossRefGoogle Scholar