Caution can prevent many farm problems

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- While some mistakes in life and at work are small and easy to overcome, many of the problems that happen on farms can be devastating.

Farm experts say many problems are self-inflicted, and these cost time and money to overcome. Better than learning from mistakes is taking steps to prevent them from happening at all.

Leslie Woolington is the risk management and loss control manager for the Mississippi State University Extension Service and the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station. She said inattention caused by familiarity is one of the biggest threats to farm safety and one of the biggest contributors to mistakes in ag settings.

“Include safety in your farm routines,” Woolington said. “For example, as a routine, read the label before using a new chemical for the first time. This can help you to ensure you are wearing the right personal protective equipment such as gloves and a respirator and are familiar with restricted entry time frames.”

Another routine is to walk around farm equipment before using it, taking time to verify that it is mechanically sound and in safe condition to operate.

During the Row Crop Short Course hosted by MSU in December, Eric Prostko, Extension weed specialist at the University of Georgia, had a list of common but preventable problems that he has observed in farm settings.

Top of his list was going to actual experts for farm advice.

“Beware of online search and AI recommendations for things like weed control and herbicide use,” Prostko said.

As an example, he said an AI suggestion erroneously told him to use the herbicide atrazine on peanuts.

“Atrazine is not labeled for use on peanuts and will cause significant yield loss if accidently applied,” he said.

Another preventable problem is not cleaning equipment and tanks thoroughly in between application of farm chemicals. What is safe on one crop can be detrimental on another.

There are a variety of preventable problems that involve agricultural chemicals. One issue that has become more common is drone application of farm chemicals.

“A person may be an excellent drone operator but have no knowledge of herbicides, and that can be a problem with applying these chemicals by air,” Prostko said.

Carefully reading the label on all chemicals is a key way to avoid problems. Labels specifically list the active ingredients and correct use and a variety of other information. Being careless or not reading these labels causes issues on farms every year.

Chemical containers can look alike and cause problems when a person does not take the time to check, and reusing containers has caused many preventable problems.

“These things happen because everybody is in a hurry,” Prostko said. “We’ve got to plant on time, spray on time, harvest on time, pay the banker on time.

“We’re all fallible and likely to make mistakes. Think a little more about what is going on the farm and how this will affect the possible outcomes on the farm,” he said.

The solution is to slow down, ask for advice from trusted experts, read labels and keep work and storage areas clean and organized.

“If there’s a container on your farm that doesn’t have a label on it, don’t use it. It’s likely not what you think it is,” he said. “Clean out the sprayer well. Take a peek inside to see that it is really empty, is it really water or some of what you just sprayed.”

Jason Bond is an MSU Extension weed scientist working at the Delta Research and Extension Center in Stoneville. He gave some tips on how to avoid making mistakes with farm chemicals.

“The old saying ‘an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure’ certainly applies to farm safety,” Bond said. “Slow down, have a plan, execute that plan. Some mistakes with herbicide misapplications are not curable, but nearly all are preventable.”

Bond said keeping good records is vital.

“Be able to quickly and accurately determine what was sprayed on a field and when,” Bond said. “In the rush of planting and spraying and managing, it’s easy to skip that step. But it can prove to be one of the most important decisions when problems arise.”