Roadsides,
Rights-of-Way, Fencerows and Non-crop Areas: Introduction
Excerpt from
2010-2011 Chapter 18, Publication 75, Guide to Weed Control, Order
this publication
Table
of Contents
- Fencerows and Farm Areas
- Roadsides,
Rights-of-Ways and Waste Places
- Related Links
Fencerows
and Farm Areas
In agricultural areas, weeds growing in fencerows, around
buildings and on roadsides are sources of potential weed infestation to other
parts of a farm. In addition, brush and weeds around fields harbor insects, diseases
and other pests that may be detrimental to farming operations. Shrubs like wild
cherry may be possible sources of livestock poisoning.
Farmers may
also wish to reclaim land on which willows or brush have encroached. It is important
to keep drainage ditches and farm ponds free of troublesome aquatic vegetation
(refer to Chapter 19. Water Weeds (Aquatic Plants), page 339). Ontario’s
cosmetic pesticides ban came into effect April 22, 2009. The requirements of the
ban are detailed in Ontario Regulation 63/09 under the Pesticides Act. Uses of
class 9 pesticides for agricultural purposes is excepted from the cosmetic pesticides
ban. Farmers are not excepted from the cosmetic pesticides ban when using pesticides
for maintaining lawns and gardens around the farm house, which are not part of
an agricultural operation.
Roadsides, Rights-of-Ways
and Waste Places
Under exceptions to the cosmetic pesticides ban, class
9 pesticides can be used in situations related to the promotion of public health
or safety. O, Reg. 63/09 defines “the promotion of public safety or health”
to include “the destruction, prevention, or control of plants, fungi or animals
that affect public works or other buildings and structures”. Public work
is defined in the regulation, and means a structure that provides a benefit to
the public and that is owned or operated by the Government of Ontario or Canada
or by any board or commission thereof, or by any municipal corporation, public
utility commission or by private enterprise and includes:
- Any railway,
canal, highway, bridge, power works including all property used for the generation,
transformation, transmission, distribution or supply of hydraulic or electrical
power, gas works, water works, public utility or other work.
Class
9 pesticides can be used in an extermination related to public works only for
the following:
To prevent structural damage to a public work, if
the potential damage to the public work caused by the pest would place the health
or safety of a person at risk.
For essential maintenance of the
public work, if the pest would interfere with or prevent the essential maintenance.
To
allow for emergency access to the public work.
To ensure the security
of the public work if the pest would place the security at risk (e.g. vegetation-free
security perimeters at power generating facilities).
To prevent
damage to the structural integrity of a building or other structure that is not
part of a public work, if the potential damage caused to the building or structure
by the pest could place the health or safety of a person at risk.
The
use of pesticides for the above mentioned applications does not include the use
of class 9 pesticides along portions of highways that are accessed by pedestrians
on a regular basis or other portions where the public is invited to stop, including
a rest area or picnic area.
Commencing April 22, 2010, class 9 pesticides
used in an extermination with respect to a public work must be applied by an appropriately
licensed exterminator who is certified by a integrated pest management (IPM) body
or licensed exterminator working under written instructions of a person who is
certified by an IPM body.
The owner or operator of the public work is responsible
for ensuring an annual report is prepared that summarizes all pesticide used.
Both
railway and power supply authorities are concerned with maintaining safe and accessible
rights-of-way by controlling growth of weeds and brush.
In certain areas
(beneath guide rails, in storage yards, under railway tracks and under fences
at road intersections), it may be advantageous to completely kill all vegetation
for long-term control. Consider vegetation control measures such as mechanical
(e.g. cutting or mowing) and cultural practices (e.g. seeding desirable species)
as an alternative to herbicides. Herbicides and suggestions for their use in this
way can be found in Vegetation Control – Long Term Non-selective,
page 330.
Precautions should always be taken to minimize herbicide drift
in roadside and right-of-way vegetation management. It is advisable to inspect
or monitor each roadside just prior to spraying to locate susceptible crops, water
crossings, portions of highways that are accessed by pedestrians on a regular
basis or other portions where the public is invited to stop, and other sensitive
areas. Appropriate “shut off” and “turn on” points should
be marked so these areas can be avoided during the actual spray operation.
Related Links
