You are likely aware of drift concerns with the newest dicamba herbicides for application on dicamba-tolerant soybeans, whether you grow the beans and spray the herbicides or not. Thousands of farmers attended dicamba herbicide training during the off-season just in case they decided later to use the product, or maybe just to know what could be sprayed near their fields.

Labels for these dicamba products prohibit spraying if a temperature inversion exists. The risk for off-target movement goes up during a temperature inversion.

Now there’s a tool to help you know if a temperature inversion exists at your location. Bill Hughes, president of Innoquest Inc., Woodstock, Ill., says his company created the tool to help farmers and pesticide applicators more easily comply with label requirements for temperature inversions.

During a temperature inversion, the air above a field is warmer than the air at plant level. The SpotOn Inversion Tester can provide accurate air temperature measurements at boom height so you can satisfy label requirements. The tool is a meter long, and is collapsible when not in use.

The operator simply holds the device at 1 and 3 meters above the ground, Hughes says. If the temperature is higher at 3 meters vs. 1 meter, there’s an inversion. The instrument display reads: “inversion present.” Spraying isn’t recommended in this case.

The tool comes with a replaceable lithium battery and a one-year guarantee; it lists at $375. To learn more, call 800-637-1623 or visit innoquestinc.com.

UAS logbook
Drone users now have a free, digital, web-based application that allows them to log information about flights made with unmanned aircraft systems. If you fly drones, check it out at uasuserlog.org.

The application was developed by Dharmendra Saraswat, a Purdue University ag engineer, working with the USDA Agricultural Research Service, Washington State University and Texas A&M University. It’s designed to be accessed and used anywhere around the world.

The digital logbook provides options to interactively record the date and time of a flight, plus the make, model and registration information for the device; battery charge status; type of flight; sensors used; data collected; weather conditions and more. Saraswat believes this common protocol will plug a gap in standardization of flight data used for various purposes.

Drift reduction tool
K-B Agritech LLC, Plainfield, Wis., says growers and custom applicators who want to use its Pattern Master Spray System can save money if they purchase it through the Roundup Ready Plus Crop Management Solutions program, running through Aug. 31. Learn more at drt.ag or roundupreadyplus.com/offers.

The Pattern Master Spray System works with all sprayers and is designed to work with single-orifice nozzles, including TTI nozzles with a 15-degree offset. The goal is reducing particle drift by keeping fines most susceptible to off-target movement under the boom longer. K-B Agritech tests indicate this product can reduce fines and result in more product deposited in the lower part of the crop canopy.

Cross-brands tech use
Reichhardt, a German-based company, has released Green Fit with approval from John Deere. This system allows vehicles that couldn’t use John Deere technology before to have access to John Deere AutoTrac.

Andreas Reichhardt, chief executive officer and owner of the Reichhardt Group, says the technology will first be applied to Agco vehicles, including Challenger and Fendt models.

Retrofits are available. Green Fit closes a gap in the communication between different systems, Reichhardt says. For the future, Green Fit allows the combination of John Deere AutoTrac with Reichhardt’s sensors for row guidance. Learn more at reichhardt.com.