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O M four times per year. Ground spraying is more accurate than aerial spraying, often using less pesticides or chemicals per unit area than the aerial spray method. However, aerial spraying is often a preferred method for covering cultivated tracts that are large or in remote or rural areas. Aerial spraying results in more extensive drift of pesticides and chemicals than ground spraying, due to the height at which the chemicals are released and the greater effects of wind at the greater height. However, ground spraying can also result in drift, although more localized, when spraying occurs at the perimeter of the cultivated area. . Spray Drift Problems and Solutions To determine the extent of spray drift problems and possible solutions, staff contacted several citrus grove owners/managers and some aerial and ground spraying operators. Those contacted responded to the following types of questions: 1. What areas of the county are usually aerially sprayed? 2. Under what conditions and circumstances are groves aerially sprayed? What are the common limitations in aerial spraying? 3. Is aerial spraying accurate and what are. the effects of drift? For ground spray drift? 4. What would be an effective buffer to mitigate the adverse effects of aerial spray drift? For ground spray drift? All of the answers and information given by those contacted were consistent. From the results, staff has determined the following: a. aerial spraying occurs most often in remote or rural areas, covering large tracts of land, b. aerial spraying occurs most often in early morning, and during the summer, C. FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) regulations prohibit airplanes- that are spraying crops to perform turning maneuvers over residences, d. the FAA regulations effectively restrict aerial spraying in groves that are adjacent to residences or require more difficult (and more costly) airplane maneuvering around residences and residential areas, e. aerial spray drift problems can occur but are costly to the operator and the grove owner, f. effective buffers for aerial spray drift would involve either a minimum 100' separation between a grove and a residence or a stand of 50' canopy trees (such as an Australian pine windbreak), g. ground spray drift can occur; however, effective buffers would involve either a minimum 50' separation between a grove and a residence or a 6' high barrier. . Summary of Findings Aerial spray drift into residential areas adjacent to groves does not appear to be as extensive of a problem as first thought by staff when current buffer requirements were drafted. FAA regu- lations and economic factors usually cause owners of groves that are adjacent to residences to use ground spraying, a method more accurate than aerial spraying. Furthermore, buffers that would be effective against aerial spray drift are cost prohibitive: requiring 100' setbacks or 50' tall windbreaks would be unrealis- tic. 72 AUG 2 3 1988 BOOK 73 u,c 570