Contact your county Extension agent or land grant university for more specific information on pesticide spray drift. Pesticide spray drift is the movement of pesticides away from the target area. Whether you do your own spraying or have a custom applicator do it for you, it's important to pay close attention to drift and to understand the serious problems it can cause. Pesticide spray drift is expensive, dangerous and illegal. The single most important step a grower can take to avoid pesticide drift is to make sure all ground and aerial applicators are skilled, careful, and fully trained.
Environmental conditions are one of the factors contributing to pesticide spray drift.
Wind speed and direction and the distance to neighboring crops or other sensitive areas can cause drift conditions. High wind speeds can carry pesticide particles out of the target area, while high temperature and low relative humidity decrease particle size and increase drift potential. Sensitive off-target areas are areas outside of the field where you do not want to spray. Sensitive off-target areas should always be separated from spray areas by a buffer. Spraying when it is too windy or when the wind is blowing toward a sensitive off-target area can cause serious problems.