Abstract
ABSTRACT For the successful application of phytosanitary products, it is essential to understand the spraying process well. The present work aims to evaluate the spectrum and speed of the droplets produced by different spray nozzle models with air induction, working under different operating conditions. The experiment was conducted using an entirely randomized design with five repetitions in a 3 × 3 × 3 factor scheme that incorporates three nozzle models (ADIA, AIXR, and GA), three nominal flows (0.76, 1.14, and 1.51 L min−1), and three operating pressures (200, 300, and 400 kPa). The spectrum and speed of the droplets were determined directly using a real-time droplet analyzer based on high-resolution image analysis. The spray nozzle model interfered with the results. The ADIA promoted Dv0.5 (VMD) higher than AIXR and GA, reaching differences of up to 90%. The increase in pressure promoted a reduction in the droplet size; however, there was no well-defined behavior for the relationship between the flow rate and droplet size. The ADIA and AIXR gave rise to greater uniformity of the droplets in most of the evaluated conditions. The increase in pressure promoted an increase in the speed of the droplets. However, the effect of the nozzle model on this parameter was dependent on the flow.
Highlights
The drift of phytosanitary products is a major practical problem in contemporary agriculture
Even with equivalent flow rates, each model has its own characteristics that distinguish them from the others
The geometry of the air induction spray nozzle model interfered with the spectrum and the droplet speed
Summary
The drift of phytosanitary products is a major practical problem in contemporary agriculture. Several factors contribute to its occurrence, including the weather conditions during application and the size of the droplets used. The first factor cannot be controlled, but the second can be. Droplets with a diameter of less than 150 μm are often the most subject to wind-driven drag (Ferguson et al, 2016). While larger droplets are safer from an environmental point of view, they promote less target coverage, which may interfere with the effectiveness of the treatment (Ferguson et al, 2015). It is essential to know the spraying process well
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