Those low-flying yellow airplanes are nothing to worry about, according to Greg Traylor of Traylor Fertilizer, Montgomery. They’re just crop dusters applying a fungicide that will keep crops healthier and increase farmers’ yields.
Traylor said Tuesday that farmers couldn’t justify the expense of the fungicide in the past, but higher crop values now make it worth the money.
Several people have called police this week concerned about the planes, and Traylor said people have approached him a “nervous wreck” because they didn’t know what the planes were doing.
Because of the demand for the fungicide, a half dozen planes, some from out of state, will be applying it for the next month or so as the corn starts to tassel. The higher number of crop dusters — in the past only one has worked in the area — has kept the local airport exceptionally busy, said Jack Miles, Daviess County Airport manager, who said he alerted local law enforcement before the crop dusters started their work.
Some planes have had to circle the airport several times waiting to land because of the amount of traffic there, and they’re starting work as early as 4:30 a.m., added Traylor.
One popular fungicide, being used, Headline, not only kills various plant diseases, it also helps the plants grow more efficiently, use fertilizer better, tolerate stress like drought and produce more, said Jared Chastain of BASF at a plant health meeting for local farmers Tuesday. Headline has been applied to hundreds of crops around the world, starting with cereal grains in Europe, then on thousands of acres in South America, where it was proven effective at a concentration of 1 gallon per acre.
Spreading by plane is more efficient than using a land applicator, although it costs about the same, continued Chastain, because the wind pushing down from under the plane distributes the product better and allows farmers to use less of it. Plus, it’s faster. Air application uses about 3 gallons of chemical per acre while land application uses around 15 gallons per acre.
Carried in a vegetable oil base, Headline won’t harm neighbors if it drifts, although it does have a little odor, he added.
“The material we’re putting on is perfectly safe. There’s no concern for the homeowner,” said Traylor. “It won’t hurt your home, pets or landscape.”
Local News
Related Photos
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Crop dusting has become more common this year as corn prices rise. Photo by Kelly Overton
Discussion
Good corn prices mean crop dusters
Low-flying planes nothing to worry about
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