Review into 2,4-D recommends handling changes

A new report by the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) into 2,4-D use says that current approved labels do not provide adequate instructions to manage spray drift and extra labelling is required.

2,4-D is found in about 220 different products and is used to kill broadleaf weeds and as a plant growth regulator in some fruit crops.

For users, APVMA provides a list of product labels that are already compliant. The new 2,4-D label instructions came into effect on 1 October last year and old labels have now been suspended.

2,4-D users must comply with the new label instructions, even if using products with the old labels. The new instructions using herbicides that contain 2,4-D include:

• a requirement not to spray during inversion conditions and additional information on recognising inversion conditions
• downwind mandatory no-spray zones for both aquatic and terrestrial off-target vegetation (including sensitive crops, gardens, landscaping vegetation, protected native vegetation or protected animal habitat)
• a requirement to use nozzles producing droplets no smaller than the very coarse spray quality category
• mandatory record keeping requirements
• advisory statements about spray application over summer.

Further information

Read about the review and recommendations on the APVMA website.