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ARS Home » Plains Area » College Station, Texas » Southern Plains Agricultural Research Center » Aerial Application Technology Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #412119
Research Project: Improved Aerial Application Technologies for Precise and Effective Delivery of Crop Production Products

Location: Aerial Application Technology Research

Title: Adjuvant and pesticide formulation interactions: Impacts on spray quality in ground and aerial applications

Author
item Fritz, Bradley - Brad
item FURSDON-WELSH, ANGUS - Croda
item DEMPSEY, LOGAN - Croda
item CASTRO, NATHAN - Croda
item WALL, JASON - Croda
item SUN, SUSAN - Croda

Submitted to: Journal of ASTM International
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/21/2024
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: The size of the spray droplets influences the effectiveness and environmental impact of any spray application, with one of the main factors determining the droplet size being the physical properties of the material being sprayed. This work created a set of surrogate pesticide formulations and adjuvants that had similar chemistries and physical properties to those most often used in real agricultural spray mixtures. These surrogates were evaluated as to how they affected the droplet size in both ground and aerial based spray applications. The work established that the surrogate test materials can easily replace active products in testing environments and provide a dataset that can help understand the interactions between different types of formulations and adjuvants better. This work can help guide choices about how to use and regulate pesticide applications to protect both crops and the environment.

Technical Abstract: This research examines the impact of different adjuvants and pesticide formulations on the physical properties of agricultural spray mixtures, and the consequent droplet size in both ground and aerial based spray applications. The focus lies on three leading types of adjuvants in the industry: nonionic, oil-based, and high molecular weight adjuvants. These are paired with simulated formulations of three commonly used types of pesticide formulations: water-soluble formulation (SL), suspension concentrate (SC), and oil dispersants (OD), including of suspo-emulsion (SE). Additionally, this work examines the physical and chemical consequences of these tank-side adjuvants on simulated pesticide spray combinations, factoring in solution physical properties, nozzle characteristics, and environment into which spray is released. Each pairing of the simulated formulation and adjuvant was assessed for spray droplet size under typical ground and aerial application use rates. The objective was to generate test materials that can easily substitute active products in testing environments where collection and disposal of active substances might be challenging. Additionally, to establish a dataset that can contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the interactions between different types of formulations and adjuvants and delineate the boundaries of the spray droplet size variations between these systems.