Which practice helps limit pesticide movement toward surface water?

• A. Create a buffer zone near water and avoid spraying there
• B. Increase application rate
• C. Apply during rain
• D. Use large spray droplets only

Answer: (A)

Keeping pesticides from reaching surface water starts with creating a buffer zone between treated fields and any surface water body. A vegetated strip acts as a filter and physical barrier, reducing spray drift, capturing or slowing runoff, and giving time for the chemical to bind to soil or plant matter before it can reach water. By not spraying within this zone, you greatly lower the chance a pesticide will enter streams, ponds, or ditches, protecting aquatic life and complying with label directions. The other practices would worsen the problem: increasing the rate adds more chemical that could move toward water; applying during rain promotes runoff; using only large droplets helps drift reduction but doesn’t remove the need for space near water and could still lead to runoff. So the buffer zone approach is the most protective choice.