Know Your Crop Protection Rainfast Period

‘Rainfast’ refers to the time it takes until a chemical cannot be washed off by environmental factors such as rains. Oftentimes farmers have challenges with chemical wash off due to failure to understand or apply the rainfast of crop protection products (herbicides, insecticides and fungicides).

In many instances, farmers have applied these chemicals immediately prior to rainfall or whilst it showers. Thereafter, the failure of these chemicals to yield the expected results has been attributed to chemical suppliers and companies. In actual fact this chemical failure is due lack of adherence to rainfast time.

What exactly is Rainfast Time?

For herbicides or weed killers, generally, chemicals must be applied 3 to 6 hours prior to rains. However, reference must be made to the chemical labels for these times vary. For instance herbicides like Paraquat only need 30 minutes to be fully absorbed and any rains after this will not adversely affect the herbicide.

Likewise, reference must be made to chemical labels of fungicides in order to ascertain the exact rainfast time as some require 1 to 2 uninterrupted hours while others require 24 hours before the rains to be fully effective.

Insecticides generally require 2 to 6 uninterrupted hours after application prior to the onset of rain. As the case with herbicides and fungicides, the chemical label will guide the farmer as to the precise time. In the absence of such instructions, farmers are advised to contact their chemical company or suppliers.

Further, it is vital to add a sticker crop protection feature products. This boosts the rainfastness of the crop protection products by making the penetration or absorption quicker.

Put simply, avoid spraying crop protection products whilst it showers or the clouds show likelihood of rains. Always do the right thing to increase your production. Never hesitate to consult your chemical suppliers pertaining any queries on the product’s characteristics.

Agronomist H. Kanyimbo has the farmers at heart and is just one call away for your farming input supply.

by Agronomist H. Kanyimbo