50 Ways - 30. Rinse Chemical Containers Throughly

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50 Ways Farmers Can Protect Their Groundwater

Nitrogen

1. Set realistic yield goals
2. Test the soil
3. Credit other nitrogen sources
4. Apply nitrogen in the spring
5. Use nitrification inhibitors when effective

Scouting

6. Scout fields

Insecticides

7. Know the economic thresholds for insects
8. Consider insect-resistant crop varieties
9. Spot-treat insect infestations when possible
10. Know how tillage affects insects
11. Know how crop rotation affects insects
12. Adjust planting & harvesting dates to control insects
13. Conserve beneficial insects
14. Consider using biological insecticides

Herbicides

15. Know the economic thresholds for weeds
16. Fine-tune your weed program to reduce rates
17. Manage crops to compete aggressively with weeds
18. Don't increase herbicide rates with conservation tillage
19. Band herbicides and cultivate
20. Control weeds with cover crops

Pesticide Selection

21. Determine the organic-matter of your soil
22. Determine your soil's potential for leaching
23. Determine your pesticide's potential for leaching
24. Determine the soil-pesticide interaction rating
25. Consider other critical pesticide qualities

Pesticide application

26. Select the proper nozzle tips
27. Calibrate your sprayer
28. Consider direct injection
29. SPrevent backsiphoning

Pesticide disposal and storage

30. Rinse chemical containers thoroughly
31. Dispose of rinsed containers safely
32. Dispose of excess chemicals safely
33. Store agrichemicals safely
34. Prevent and clean up chemical spills
35. Construct a rinse pad

Site conditions, wells, and septic systems

36. Know your well site conditions
37. Locate your well away from contamination sources
38. Make sure your well is constructed properly
39. Seal abandoned wells
40. Make sure your septic system operates correctly

Water testing & treatment

41. Test your water routinely
42. Test your water for coliform bacteria & nitrate
43. Test you water for pesticides
44. Know the signs of contaminants in drinking water
45. Select effective water-treatment methods

46. Store livestock waste properly
47. Have old, underground fuel storage tanks removed
48. Dispose of other hazardous waste safely
49. Take precautions when irrigating
50. Take precautions when chemigating

30. Rinse Chemical Containers Thoroughly
	Empty pesticide containers are not really empty, for as much as 2 to 4 ounces of the chemical may remain inside an unrinsed container. Therefore, rinse containers immediately after emptying them. The two most common systems are the triple-rinse procedure and the jet-spray system. To triple-rinse a container, empty the container into the spray tank and let it drain for 30 seconds. If the container is designed to hold less than 5 gallons of pesticide, fill it one-fourth full with clean water. If the container is designed to hold 5 gallons of pesticide or more, fill it one-fifth with clean water.
	Shake or swirl the container vigorously to rinse all inside surfaces. Empty rinsate into the spray tank and let it drain for 30 seconds. Then repeat the procedure two more times and puncture the bottom so the container cannot be reused.
	Speed is the advantage of jet spraying, or "pressure rinsing"—a system in which you puncture the bottom of the container with the pressure rinse nozzle, then rinse for sixty seconds. The rinsate will drain directly into your spray tank.
	Do not dump pesticide container rinse water on the ground. Empty all rinsate into your spray tank and apply it to your fields, as long as you do not exceed label rates. If you cannot apply the rinse water without exceeding rates, store it in a rinsate drum for later use as mix water in the spray tank mix.