Pecan sprayer drops fungicide on roadside

By Pete Skiba (2291)
pete.skiba@albanyherald.com

Thursday, August 26, 2010
© Copyright 2013 Albany Herald

Photo by Laura Williams

ALBANY, Ga. -- A 1,000-gallon trailer that sprays pecan trees with fungicide blew a tire, collapsed puncturing its tank and had emergency workers cleaning up at about 11:30 a.m. Thursday.

Traffic was diverted around Radium Springs Road by the Dougherty County Police Department at the intersection of North Rosewood Drive until about 1:30 p.m. said an Albany Fire Department official.

"About a gallon to five gallons of fungicide came out of a small fracture in the tank and we dammed it before it went into the storm-water drain," said Keith Ambrose, Albany Fire Department battalion chief. "The airborne Stratego fungicide is practically non-toxic. They spray it all over the trees every day."

The website for Bayer Cropscience, bayercropscienceus.com, the fungicide manufacturer, states, "Stratego is a broad-spectrum fungicide for disease control in corn, soybeans, wheat, rice, barley, oats, peanuts and pecans. Stratego works by interfering with respiration in plant pathogenic fungi, inhibition of spore germination and by blocking fungal growth."

The fungicide draining from the trailer was contained before it could reach a storm-water holding pond across the street. The Cross Creek Pecan Co. owned trailer was towed by a wrecker.

While the hazardous materials team was at the location it was more a precaution than a necessity. The Dougherty County Public Works Department cleaned the area including the storm drain catch basins of any fungicide.

Sign in to comment

Or login with:

OpenID

Albany Herald