Abstract
Loss of crop protection products when agricultural spray applications drift has economic and ecological consequences. Modification of the spray solution through tank additives and product formulation is an important drift reduction strategy that could mitigate these effects, but has been studied less than most other strategies. Therefore, an experimental field study was conducted to evaluate spray drift resulting from agricultural ground applications of an insecticide formulated as a suspension concentrate (SC) and as a wettable powder (WP), with and without two adjuvants. Droplet sizes were also measured in a wind tunnel to determine if indirect methods could be substituted for field experimentation to quantify spray drift from these technologies. Results suggest that spray drift was reduced by 37% when comparing the SC to the WP formulation. As much as 63% drift reduction was achieved by incorporating certain spray adjuvants, but this depended on the formulation/adjuvant combination. The wind tunnel data for droplet spectra showed strong agreement with field deposition trends, suggesting that droplet statistics could be used to estimate drift reduction of spray solutions. These findings can be used to develop a classification scheme for formulated products and tank additives based on their potential for reducing spray drift.
Highlights
Spray drift from agricultural applications of pesticides is an expected outcome, regardless of measures to minimize its occurrence (Damalas, 2015; Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 1999; Felsot et al, 2011; Salyani & Cromwell, 1992)
The recovery rates of Rhodamine-WT for each treatment were within the recommended range of 80–120% (EPA, 2016a; ASABE, 2009a)
Diagnostic plots of the model residuals suggested that the assumptions of normality, linearity, and homoscedasticity were reasonably met
Summary
Spray drift from agricultural applications of pesticides is an expected outcome, regardless of measures to minimize its occurrence (Damalas, 2015; EPA, 1999; Felsot et al, 2011; Salyani & Cromwell, 1992). The U.S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines drift as the “movement of pesticide dust or droplets through the air at the time of application or soon after, to any site other than the area intended” (EPA, 2016b). Loss of crop protection products via drift can result in potentially harmful human and environmental health effects, inefficient pest control, and economic losses to the product user. Pesticide drift is axiomatically problematic because it compromises the objectives of integrated pest management, which are to reduce pest status through means that are effective, economically sound, and ecologically compatible (Pedigo, 1989). Effect of insecticide formulation and adjuvant combination on agricultural spray drift.
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