Dicamba Drift?

guywhofishes

Founding Member
Founding Member
Joined
Apr 21, 2015
Posts
28,630
Likes
3,830
Points
948
Location
Faaargo, ND
Every year I see more and more eff'd up tree rows, big sections of a farmer's trees near their house dead, etc. And we're not talking a little stress... I mean toasted brown/red color in June/July. Often it's just one side of the trees.

What's the deal? Is this what they call Dicamba drift... or is it some other potent killer of trees?

That is some bad juice - the trees never recover. The next year they are D E A D. Is this why farmers are dozing down tree big healthy rows?... because they're gonna wind up dead anyway?
 


JayKay

Founding Member
Founding Member
Joined
Apr 20, 2015
Posts
6,726
Likes
436
Points
348
Location
Southeast Bismarck
We were out there looking for work picking pomegranates, but nobody would hire us.

Last season we worked every day.

hire.jpg
 

Account Deleted

Founding Member
Founding Member
Joined
May 20, 2015
Posts
4,641
Likes
50
Points
246
I would need close ups of the leaf damage to know for certain but usually herbicides in the growth regulator group don't turn the plants red/yellow. Plateau is the only one I can think of right off hand that'll give those characteristics in some plants. Tordon might too but if I remember right but you shouldn't see much of that in the RRV. Anyway, get me a close up of the picture leaves and I might be able to tell you.
 

Tikka280ai

Founding Member
Founding Member
Joined
May 16, 2015
Posts
969
Likes
50
Points
208
Location
Willow City
I very highly doubt that it is dicamba drift. It is more likely somebody spraying something like tordon or plateau to try to control noxious weeds and not caring what else gets sprayed. If i remember right plateau is labeled for spraying in trees while tordon isn't and will defiantly put a hurting on trees. The residual on tordon is 7 years i believe for some plants i believe so that could be why the trees never recover from being burnt by it
 


guywhofishes

Founding Member
Founding Member
Thread starter
Joined
Apr 21, 2015
Posts
28,630
Likes
3,830
Points
948
Location
Faaargo, ND
I would need close ups of the leaf damage to know for certain but usually herbicides in the growth regulator group don't turn the plants red/yellow. Plateau is the only one I can think of right off hand that'll give those characteristics in some plants. Tordon might too but if I remember right but you shouldn't see much of that in the RRV. Anyway, get me a close up of the picture leaves and I might be able to tell you.

I do not recall saying yellow - cuz it's not yellow. It's always this "something ain't right here" burnt brown/sienna - like they were stopped dead in their tracks - scorched looking - not the yellow stress color a guy sees late in summer.
 

Account Deleted

Founding Member
Founding Member
Joined
May 20, 2015
Posts
4,641
Likes
50
Points
246
You're right. You didn't. My bad.

Anyway, depending on the amount of drift, plants that have been affected by dicamba, 2,4-D etc. have cupping and puckering of the leaves. It's pretty distinct.

- - - Updated - - -

My guess would be glyphosate (roundup) from what you are describing.
 

Yoby

Founding Member
Founding Member
Joined
May 13, 2015
Posts
1,482
Likes
9
Points
196
Location
E. SD
I've had a couple trees that I suspect died as a result of aerial spraying. I have no proof, but since I work in the industry, I am sending a letter as the sprayer has been flying within 40ft of my roof top. Pretty much the same thing, red/brown on the side facing the field or already dead on that side. I have had to replace several apple trees that are some 100 ft and other more from the fields due to them spontaneously drying up and ding. The evergreens don't seem to get hurt, but the deciduous trees take a beating.

EDIT:
I should clarify, my suspicion is based on the fact that with in the week of the spraying, the trees have the above described.

I understand living in the country, you are part of the ag community and the resulting factors of tractors, semis, ect. But after replacing roughly 100 trees now, I am getting tired when I know if they were paying attention to drift this wouldn't be happening.
 
Last edited:

johnr

Founding Member
Founding Member
Joined
Apr 24, 2015
Posts
19,994
Likes
3,587
Points
803
Location
Dickinson
I see it out west every so often too. It seems a row of trees would not likely all die at the same time, unless some sort of chemical drift.
Its worse out here though as we have way less trees to begin with, and our soil is horse crap compared to RRV black gold.
 

tikkalover

Founding Member
Founding Member
Joined
May 10, 2015
Posts
7,940
Likes
899
Points
473
Location
Minot
My question would be what kind of trees and how old are they?
 
Last edited:


guywhofishes

Founding Member
Founding Member
Thread starter
Joined
Apr 21, 2015
Posts
28,630
Likes
3,830
Points
948
Location
Faaargo, ND
My question would be what kind of trees and how old are they?

it appears indiscriminate - every tree's leaves in what looks like the "contact zones" get "burnt" - big, young, old, small, etc.

- - - Updated - - -

sometimes it happens around the outside "box" of trees around a farm yard - we're talking big healthy trees - and I think to myself how horrified I would be if I saw that happen to my farm yard trees.

- - - Updated - - -

I see beleaguered old piss elm tree rows that are giving up the ghost over time - this is NOT what I'm observing

I don't own the trees - and I'm not paying the price for the drift if - that's what it is.

As a chemist I am truly curious if that's what it is... and as a human I wonder how farmers can tolerate other farmers doing it to other people's trees which has to happen - I bet there's some big arguments that go on out there!
 

Walleye202

Founding Member
Founding Member
Joined
Aug 28, 2015
Posts
124
Likes
3
Points
103
I have been out in multiple fields this year with Dicamba volatization, new chemicals were released this year for new Xtend soybeans, not working out the best. I agree with above posters, I do not think this would be the cause of the tree issues you are seeing. Most likely aerial or other herbicide drifting that is taking its toll on some trees.

Wouldn't surprise me to see the hammer dropped hard on the new Dicamba mixes for the 2018 crop year.
 

Allen

Founding Member
Founding Member
Joined
Apr 24, 2015
Posts
10,474
Likes
1,485
Points
553
Location
Lincoln, kinda...
I have accidentally killed or set back a few trees of my own. 2-4D is plenty capable of putting the smack down on some trees.

If only the weeds were as susceptible as my trees!
 

tikkalover

Founding Member
Founding Member
Joined
May 10, 2015
Posts
7,940
Likes
899
Points
473
Location
Minot
A person (land or tree owner) that has an issue with drift can call the state Dept. of Ag. and file a complaint with them. They then look at who owns the land around what was drifted on, and go thru the procedure of looking into what was sprayed, date it was sprayed, what the wind speed and direction was for that day. They can pull tissue samples and have them tested. Most drift issues are settled amongst land owners. But in times like this (a drought) things can get a bit heated. You get the picture. Many years back we had a land owner that her garden was dyeing come to us with a complaint. We went and looked at it, and at our records of when we sprayed the field around her house, there was no way we had drifted on her garden. The wind direction was wrong(blowing away from her place). She became upset when we told her it wasn't us, so we asked how much she wanted for her ruined garden, holy shit her vegetables must of been made out of gold. We called the state and they came and took samples, it was Tordon, we never sprayed Tordon, here it was in the ground water she was using to water her garden.
 
Last edited:

guywhofishes

Founding Member
Founding Member
Thread starter
Joined
Apr 21, 2015
Posts
28,630
Likes
3,830
Points
948
Location
Faaargo, ND
two years ago I drove north of my place to the Sheyenne to fish and I passed a farmer's yard that was burnt on the north side - big trees - taller than power lines and they had been in great shape. I was stunned.

Here's what they look like today. I just can't imagine planting and caring for trees, having them do well and providing shade, wind break, cover, beauty... only to see this happen.


2017-08-01 15.53.29.jpg
 


WormWiggler

Founding Member
Founding Member
Joined
Apr 13, 2015
Posts
7,176
Likes
435
Points
348
How did Tordon end up in the lady's ground water?

- - - Updated - - -

On a somewhat related topic, anyone watching Monsanto stock, buy opportunity or stinky mess?
 

PrairieGhost

Founding Member
Founding Member
Joined
May 15, 2015
Posts
10,326
Likes
680
Points
443
Location
Drifting the high plains
I think I mentioned this before, but the weed board guy sprayed the empty lot next to me then came in my yard without permission and sprayed all the wild flowers I spent most of June collecting and transplanting. He also sprayed right next to my well. I called the health department and they took samples. The weird thing is they would not tell me if I had Tordon in my well. It's my well, but they refused to say yes or no.
I don't remember the herbicide a relative gave me for Canada thistle a few years ago, but it turned the leaves on my oaks yellow and as limp as wet paper towels. Surprisingly they did recover, but every tree has a sharp bend in the top leading branch from that herbicide. They are growing fine now and that was ten years ago.
June berries cant take a whiff of 2-4-D. A neighbor killed a large patch when he sprayed right up next to them in a good stiff wind.

At a wedding dance a couple of weeks ago I talked with a young lady that works for Monsanto. She said farmers are getting very upset with one another over Dicamba.
 

tikkalover

Founding Member
Founding Member
Joined
May 10, 2015
Posts
7,940
Likes
899
Points
473
Location
Minot
How did Tordon end up in the lady's ground water?

- - - Updated - - -

On a somewhat related topic, anyone watching Monsanto stock, buy opportunity or stinky mess?

It was in an area that had sandy soil, and a really bad problem with leafy spurge, so everyone and their brothers and sisters were spraying it. Ended up leaching into the ground water. They did take samples of her water and it was there. You have to remember that most flowers and garden plants just need to get a smell of most chemicals and they get dinged up.

- - - Updated - - -

As far as the dicamba thing, it will be interesting to see what happens as the drift issues are showing up more and more all the time. Awhile back in Arkansas or Missouri they had one farmer shoot and kill another farmer over dicamba drifting onto his crops. Even if there is no wind at the time you spray it, there can be what they call an inversion, and the vapor can lift off the crop you sprayed and a breeze an move it somewhere else.
 

Kentucky Windage

Founding Member
Founding Member
Joined
Apr 25, 2015
Posts
5,323
Likes
465
Points
368
Location
Wendy Peffercorn’s Bedroom
Or,

the guy did it with a contact/ burner herbicide to set the trees back from growing into the field or the power lines as shown in Guys picture. Grow regulars don't burn as mentioned, they melt
 

watson

Founding Member
Founding Member
Joined
May 2, 2015
Posts
1,882
Likes
477
Points
293
Location
SE corner of ND
I've had a couple trees that I suspect died as a result of aerial spraying. I have no proof, but since I work in the industry, I am sending a letter as the sprayer has been flying within 40ft of my roof top. Pretty much the same thing, red/brown on the side facing the field or already dead on that side. I have had to replace several apple trees that are some 100 ft and other more from the fields due to them spontaneously drying up and ding. The evergreens don't seem to get hurt, but the deciduous trees take a beating.

EDIT:
I should clarify, my suspicion is based on the fact that with in the week of the spraying, the trees have the above described.

I understand living in the country, you are part of the ag community and the resulting factors of tractors, semis, ect. But after replacing roughly 100 trees now, I am getting tired when I know if they were paying attention to drift this wouldn't be happening.[/QUOTE

You don't have to put up with destruction of property simply because you live in the country. If you have suffered damaged trees because of careless spraying you need to file a complaint.
 


Recent Posts

Friends of NDA

Top Posters of the Month

  • This month: 159
  • This month: 133
  • This month: 114
  • This month: 108
  • This month: 102
  • This month: 86
  • This month: 82
  • This month: 76
  • This month: 74
  • This month: 74
Top Bottom