Upgraded CottonMap Targets Spray Drift
October 12, 2011 
Accurately tracking spray drift of herbicides is, quite literally, like trying to hit a constantly moving target. It’s no wonder, then, that the new and improved CottonMap system in Australia is now accessible on mobile devices.
Following a major technical upgrade, the CottonMap system that protects the Australian Cotton industry from the adverse impact of Phenoxy herbicide spray drift will be accessible on smart phones and tablet devices this season.
CottonMap is a joint effort between Cotton Australia, Cotton Research and Development Corporation (CRDC), Grains Research Development Corporation, and Nufarm to minimize off-target damage from downward herbicide application — particularly during fallow spraying — by plotting nearby cotton fields online.
The enhanced technology means cotton growers can more easily register the fields they are planting with cotton, while their neighbors can also use their smart phone devices to check for cotton before spraying. Cotton Australia CEO Adam Kay says that during the 2007/08 and 2008/09 seasons, about 11 percent of all cotton crops were affected by spray drift.
“Last season, thanks to CottonMap, there were no adverse incidents of spray drift on cotton reported to the regulator, and with the increased accessibility of the cotton map on portable devices, we would be hopeful of a similar outcome this year.
“Cotton is a hardy crop and we have seen it withstand both droughts and floods, but Phenoxy herbicides have the potential to devastate cotton and farmers who are responsible for inadvertent spray drift can find themselves liable for that damage,” Kay said.
NuFarmBusiness Manager Gerard Bardell says the CottonMap Web site is now able to recognize if the user was using a smart phone or tablet and if so, would display a simplified version of the Web site. CottonMap is fully functional with iPads, iPhones and Android devices and provides new features, such as a location function, which brings up the location of the user.
“There is also a buffer tool that allows the user to choose a 2.5-, 5- or 10-km buffer radius that highlights the proximity to neighboring fields and offers quick links to advice on drift reduction and useful information related to correct application.”
Bardell says physical spray drift is 100 percent manageable when applications are planned well, monitored closely, and equipment was set up correctly.
For more information on CottonMap, visit www.cottonmap.com.au.
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