What is drift and how does a QS prevent it?

• A. Drift is pesticide movement off-target via air; prevent with proper nozzle selection, droplet size, wind conditions, and buffer/barrier techniques.
• B. Drift is water contamination of soil; prevent with irrigation.
• C. Drift is a sprayer malfunction; fix by maintenance.
• D. Drift is a labeling term; prevent by recordkeeping.

Answer: (A)

Drift is the movement of pesticide spray through the air away from where you target it, ending up on unintended areas. A Qualified Supervisor helps prevent drift by guiding the applicator to use equipment and conditions that keep spray where it’s aimed: selecting nozzle types and droplet sizes that minimize airborne travel, using appropriate spray pressures and speeds to create a stable spray, checking wind and weather conditions (and avoiding spraying when winds are too strong or conditions favor drift), and setting up buffer or barrier zones to intercept any droplets that do drift. Regular equipment maintenance and proper calibration also ensure the spray pattern stays on target. The other ideas—drift being water contamination, a sprayer malfunction, or a labeling term—don’t describe what drift is or how to prevent it.