Ecological Spray Drift Buffer Reduction Calculator

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Adjusted spray drift buffer (ft)
0

EPA created the Ecological Spray Drift Buffer Reduction Calculator in response to feedback that applicators will need assistance in understanding how the reduction options reduce required ecological spray drift buffers on pesticide product labels and bulletins. 

Ecological spray drift buffers may be reduced based on several factors including how the pesticide is applied, use of spray drift reduction or interception measures, spray quality, environmental conditions, and other factors. The actual ecological spray drift buffer is dependent on the design and implementation of mitigation measures in accordance with their descriptions on EPA's mitigation menu. Note that each measure in the calculator includes a link that directs you to its detailed description on this website.

Determine if Ecological Spray Drift Buffers Apply

 
For this application, do any labels or bulletins for the products used reference EPA's Mitigation Menu Website when describing ecological spray drift buffer requirements?*

Enter Field/Management Unit, Product, and Crop/Use Site details (optional)

Enter a Field/Management Unit Name for your records (if desired). For the purposes of this calculator, a field or management unit is defined as the single contiguous piece of land that is managed as a single unit in production or in preparation for production of a single crop. A uniform field may be sub-divided based upon different crops (e.g., soybeans and corn) or sub-divided based upon different features (e.g., flat portion and contoured portion). The other sections (Product Information and Crop/Use Site) below are for the user's reference and will not affect the final ecological spray drift buffer or reduction options available in this tool. They are for the user's record and will be present in the final summary report.

Select Application Type

Select application type*

Conditions Not Requiring Ecological Spray Drift Buffers

Note: Spray buffers may be required for other reasons (e.g., protection of human health).

Do the planned application conditions fit any of these descriptions:
  • Chemigation methods, including: micro-sprinklers, drip-tape, drip emitters, subsurface or flood, and under non-permeable plastic surfaces
  • In-furrow sprays when nozzle height is <8 inches above soil surface;
  • Tree trunk drench, tree trunk paint, tree injection;
  • Soil injection;
  • Solid formulations that are used as a solid (e.g., the planting of treated seed or use of a treated propagule, or granular formulation); and
  • Less than 1/10 acre (<4356 square feet) treated and Spot treatment: <1000 square feet treated (e.g., when applied with backpack or hand held sprayers).
Are managed areas the only landscapes downwind for at least the length of the label required buffer?

Managed areas are defined as:

  • Agricultural fields, pastures, forage fields, and private rangelands, including untreated portions of the treated field;
  • Roads, paved or gravel surfaces, mowed grassy/fallowed areas adjacent to field, and areas of bare ground from recent plowing or grading that are contiguous with the treated area;
  • Buildings and their perimeters, silos, or other man-made structures with walls and/or roof;
  • Areas present and/or maintained as a runoff/erosion measure as listed on EPA's Mitigation Menu website. Examples include vegetative filter strips (VFS), field borders, grassed waterways, vegetated ditches that keep irrigated water on-farm, riparian areas, managed/constructed wetlands, or other areas of intentional habitat improvement;
  • Areas present and/or maintained as a drift buffer reduction measure as listed on EPA's Mitigation Menu website. Examples include vegetative windbreaks, hedgerows, shelterbelts, riparian areas, private forests, woodlots, and shrublands;
  • Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) lands (applicators may need to ensure that pesticide use does not cause degradation of the CRP habitat).
  • On-farm contained irrigation water resources that are not connected to adjacent water bodies, including on-farm irrigation canals and ditches, water conveyances, managed irrigation/runoff retention basins, farm ponds, and tailwater collection ponds.

Product Specific Application Information

Droplet Size Reduction (automatically calculated based on product entry information): 
Only applicable if product label allows medium or finer droplets, and intended application droplet is coarser than the label.
View the description of this measure

Ground Application Ecological Drift Buffer Reduction Options

Reduced Single Application Rate (automatically calculated based on product entry information that was input in the previous page): 
Provide application rates in "Product Specific Application Information" section.
View the description of this measure

View the description of this measure

Low Boom Application (24 inches or less above ground or crop canopy; applicable only for fine droplets)
For Herbicide Application ONLY - Use of Drift Reducing Agents (select droplet size)

View the description of this measure View the description of this measure

Relative humidity is 60% or more at time of application?

Product Specific Application Information

Aerial Application Ecological Drift Buffer Reduction Options

Reduced Single Application Rate (automatically calculated based on product entry information that was input in the previous page):
 
View the description of this measure

Reduced Buffer For Larger Droplet Size Applied (automatically calculated based on product entry information):
 
View the description of this measure

View the description of this measure

For Herbicide Application ONLY - Use of Drift Reducing Agents
50% reduced boom length during application (select windspeed at time of application)

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Relative humidity is 60% or more at time of application?

Product Specific Application Information

Airblast Application Ecological Drift Buffer Reduction Options

Spray Equipment - Reduced Single Application Rate

View the description of this measure

Skipping the last downwind row?

View the description of this measure

Summary

 

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Results Summary

  • For field ID: N/A
  • Product information: N/A
  • Crop/use site: N/A
  • Ecological spray drift buffer needed (specified on label): Unknown feet
  • Adjusted ground spray drift buffer (calculated based on drift reduction measures): Not identified

Product Specific Application Information

 

Ecological Spray Drift Buffer Reduction Options

 

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Last updated on August 20, 2025