Location: Pollinator Health in Southern Crop Ecosystems Research
Project Number: 6066-30500-001-019-S
Project Type: Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Sep 1, 2024
End Date: Aug 31, 2026
Objective:
The goal of this collaborative research effort is to minimize pesticide exposure to pollinators by identifying the least drifting pesticide spray nozzle and evaluate the applicability of pollinator-friendly plant-based polymers as pesticide adjuvants. The specific objectives are (1) Detailed evaluation of different spray nozzles to clearly identify the zones from where the driftable size particles emerge; (2) Evaluate the impact, spread and evaporation of pesticide tank mix composed of new plant-based adjuvants and selected pesticides (typical of Lower Mississippi Delta) on target surfaces.
Approach:
In consultation with USDA-ARS scientist, Baylor University mechanical engineering faculty and staff will evaluate the droplet impact, spreading and evaporation dynamics of novel plant-based adjuvants and pesticide tank mixture products through high-speed tracking of drop impacts on various target surfaces. The dominant forces which dictate the coverage outcome will be elucidated through a novel non-contact optical setup to glean Newtonian and non-Newtonian properties of the mixtures supported by rheological characterization schemes. The drop spreading and evaporation dynamics will be further supported by particle image velocimetry. This study will shed light on the efficacy of the plant-based adjuvants and their interactions with various pesticides and their role in drop adhesion and final deposition patterns. This research will also improve our understanding of spray droplet evaporation and thus demonstrate the potential for the new plant-based adjuvants to be used as adjuvants to minimize off-target drift.
In consultation with USDA-ARS scientist, Baylor University mechanical engineering faculty and staff will quantitatively measure the spray characteristics of various nozzles to identify the least drifting spray nozzle. Specifically, the sprays of various polymers formed by the tested nozzles will be captured by Time-Resolved Shadowgraph. The droplet size and velocity distribution will be quantified using TSI Insight 4G Size and Shape Analysis (SSA) software coupled with the in-house developed MATLAB code. The spatiotemporally resolved droplet sizes and velocity will clearly reveal the zones from where the driftable size particles emerge for each tested nozzle-liquid combination. The results will thus co-identify the pesticide spray nozzle(s) with the minimal pesticide driftability and the novel pollinator-friendly plant-based polymers as pesticide adjuvants.The outcomes will include peer-reviewed publications and project reports, which will be developed in cooperation with the collaborator and PHSCERU research unit scientists. Research progress will be directly transferred to end-users as the program advances.
