Don’t Tempt Mother Nature: Avoid Spraying During Temperature Inversion

By: Successful Farming

Every farmer understands that applying pesticides on a windy day is a bad idea, but applying on a still day may be just as bad. Lack of wind can turn into a big problem in some circumstances. If you see a thin layer of fog in the calm, cool early morning hours, be cautious. These conditions may favor the surface-level air to move horizontally and with it, any trapped particles – such as pesticides – onto neighboring fields.

What you see may be a temperature inversion. A layer of warm air covers a layer of cooler air and acts like a lid, preventing the cooler air from rising and mixing with the upper atmosphere.