# Spraying Herbicides at Night?????



## VA Haymaker

I did a little spraying this past week and to avoid drift, my only window was late in the evening when the winds were still. First day, I quit at dark. Second day - knowing rain was coming in 24 hrs, I went to 10pm - well past dark. With the lighting on my tractor, front and work light in the back, I could see surprisingly well. I've since checked the field and the herbicide is taking hold nicely. Other than the neighbors concluding I'm crazy for riding around a field in the dark, the lack of wind, cooler temps make me think that night time spraying might be an advantage for my situation.

A concern is the presence of heavy dew - which was almost nonexistent when I sprayed a few days ago. Another is - I've seen these fields, when drenched in heavy dew, as the sun comes up on them and the temps start climbing, a misty cloud rising off the field and blowing in the wind towards the neighbors. If that happened after a night spraying, the following morning, I'm wondering if the herbicides would evaporate and be carried off too or stay behind and the water carrier/dew would volitize before the herbicide and in doing so - leave the herbicide behind.

Anyone spraying after dark with good results? Concerns/recommendations - advice is much appreciated.

Thanks,
Bill


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## Hayman1

Bill, that is interesting, not sure what you were spraying but I have always held off spraying in the late evening due to stomata closing down and fear of less plant activity for good control. Many 2, 4-d products can revolitize badly and it would seem that with the right conditions you might get some things happening that would not be to you or your neighbors liking. Not sure about other herbicides


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## stack em up

Most herbicides should not be sprayed at night, as photosynthesis has stopped, and the plants are not taking up anything. You may get a good kill this time if the conditions were right, the next time you could have a catastrophe as some products get up and move, like 2,4d. That usually happens in hot weather though.


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## VA Haymaker

Hayman1 said:


> Bill, that is interesting, not sure what you were spraying but I have always held off spraying in the late evening due to stomata closing down and fear of less plant activity for good control. Many 2, 4-d products can revolitize badly and it would seem that with the right conditions you might get some things happening that would not be to you or your neighbors liking. Not sure about other herbicides


Herbicide was Pasturegard. It's really doing a number on the weeds too - much wilting.

I hadn't considered any nighttime spraying in my neck of the woods - just because. However, in this instance, it seems to be working and a perhaps possible (though I'm skeptical for now) path forward?

I can't explain.

Bill


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## endrow

I would rather spray with a 19 mile an hour wind then a 1 mile an hour wind. Providing the sprayer was using air inducted nozzles. Very late evening and very early morning when there is usually no wind at all is a very risky time to spray due to temperature inversions. I would also agree that if the dew is heavy on the plants it can cause a herbicide to run off or it can cause the herbicide going on the weed to be diluted.


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## Tater Salad

All replies are dead on and the fact you asked the question shows you know it's not the preferred method....BUT , Sometimes in our business you gotta do what you can do when you can do it ! risk vs reward is the name of the game Gents ???

I read about those "AG-Shields" this morning (Ad at the top of the webpage) very interesting...solves the wind problem , but costs ??? There's that "risk/reward" thing again !


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## Vol

One safeguard that one can take if forced to spray at non-optimal times is to double the rate of surfactant....this will help greatly with wind drift, volatilization, and temperature inversion. A little more costly, but not alot....and it just might help avoid disaster with your neighbors.

Regards, Mike


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## VA Haymaker

Vol said:


> One safeguard that one can take if forced to spray at non-optimal times is to double the rate of surfactant....this will help greatly with wind drift, volatilization, and temperature inversion. A little more costly, but not alot....and it just might help avoid disaster with your neighbors.
> 
> Regards, Mike


I actually use a surfacant - drawing a blank, but I think read one time it helps accelerate rainfast time too.

Thanks,
Bill


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## endrow

Not to sound quarrelsome, but I have at times increased surfactant. On some products like pusuit , raptor , etc. To double surfactant could lead to some crop injury in extreme cases . . . MMMMMMMany moons ago I was spraying Harmony on barley and I doubled the surfactant and pretty much ruined the crop .


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## Vol

Very well so endrow....I had my mind focused on grasses...which seem to be much more tolerant.

Regards, Mike


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## mlappin

We quit several hours before sunset just because of our heavy dews.

Spraying roundup and 2-4d or canopy and 2-4d.


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## JD3430

I try to spray when it's dry and temps are consistent. I wouldn't think inversion would be a problem if temps are dropping. I think it's temps rising that can cause drift.


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