Consultant agronomist Elle Storrier has taken to social media to highlight her concerns over the effects of spray drift on the region’s cotton crops.

Based in Hillston, Elle has provided agronomic advice for 10 years to many broadacre farmers throughout the Riverina. She is also a mother and married to a farmer.

Elle’s despairing post on Facebook spoke about the damaged cotton she observes annually due to indiscriminate spraying of the herbicide 2,4-D.

“Once again I have spent my week looking at hormone damaged cotton,” she posted. “Every year I see the same thing, the same growers repeatedly taking damage. 

“I in no way condemn the use of 2,4-Ds but If we don't start using these products safely we will lose them and that would have so many ramifications for the wider agricultural sector.

“The cotton industry is on its knees on this issue. Every year my clients lose thousands of dollars to herbicide damage … these guys are your neighbours and mates.”

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Elle has since suggested farmers tackle difficult weeds when conditions were conducive to spraying 2,4-D.

“It’s just that it is something that I see year after year,” Elle said. “I have seen whole cotton crops decimated and the thing is that it is totally avoidable. Farmers do have options.

“The first is to hold off until conditions are more conducive to spraying without the risk of spray drift. Another option to get to weeds before they get too large is to choose a different herbicide option, such as Valor.

“No-one wants to be a bad neighbour and certainly no-one sets out to damage their mate’s crop,” she said.

Last season 20 per cent of Australia’s cotton crop was damaged from off-target spray drift, costing the industry in excess of $20 million.

According to industry body Cotton Australia, all cotton growing regions in Australia were affected with about 60,000 hectares reporting damage.

Marketing manager for Sumitomo Chemical Australia Brett Ryan said it was this worrying trend that prompted the company to launch its “Cotton Conscious” campaign around its Valor herbicide.

“One feature of Valor that has made it popular for summer fallow spraying all across the country, especially when those crops border cotton properties, is that it is non-volatile,” he said. “This reduces the likelihood of drift onto other crops when spraying.

“If Valor is used as a spike with knockdown non-selectives, it will only drift as far as it is physically able to be blown by wind and then it will only cause some leaf spotting on cotton crops.”

The  “Cotton Conscious” campaign is being run in major cotton growing regions.

The aim of the campaign is to remind farmers growing crops other than cotton that they need to be conscious when spraying herbicides that have the potential to drift into cotton crops and cause serious damage.