Stick to pre-harvest intervals to "Keep it Clean"

Farmers can protect the marketability of their crops by sticking to the pre-harvest interval (PHI) for every crop protection product that they apply. Often referred to as the “spray to swath” interval, the PHI refers to the number of days that must pass between spraying pesticides or desiccants and swathing/straight-cutting. Cutting the crop too soon after spraying can leave unacceptable product residues on your harvested grain.

The PHI can vary greatly between products – from one day to over 60 days – so it is important to know and adhere to the prescribed interval for every product that is applied to a crop. This will ensure the product’s active ingredient has had enough time to break down in the plant and not leave unacceptable residues behind, putting the crop’s marketability at risk.

In addition to the information found on the product label, growers and agronomists can use the Keep it Clean Spray to Swath Interval Calculator to plan pre-harvest spraying. The handy calculator can be used in two ways:

1. To calculate PHI: Enter the crop type and the product applied. The calculator will indicate how many days that the grower must wait between application and cutting the crop.
2. To find a product to suit a specific timeline: Enter the crop type and pesticide category, then select a deadline (in days). The calculator will give product options, if any, that fit within that window.

The easy-to-use, interactive calculator is mobile-friendly and filled with great information to help farmers protect their investments and the marketability of their crop.

Additional resources and tips for growing a market-ready crop